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mus,  stx 


Beethoven 


MT     130.B43G8 
and  his  nine  symphonies, 


w™«.«^   0067  4  3fifi    4 


Music 
MT 
130 
B43 

c.l 


BEETHOVEN 

/ 


AND   HIS 


NINE    SYMPHONIES. 


BY 


GEORGE    GROVE,   C.B. 


London  :  NOVELLO  AND  COMPANY,  Limited. 

New  York:  THE  H.  W.  GRAY  CO.,  Sole  Agents  for  the  U.S. A 

MADE  IN  ENGLAND 

MUSSC   UBnAKi 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CU•'^^NLGHCU1 
5T0RRS,  CONNLCTICUT 


rrrr 

en's 


CONTENTS. 

1?0  3S 


xREFACE         •••  •••  •-<• 

List  of  Symphonies 

Symphony  No.  1 

Advertisement     

Symphony  No.  2    ... 
Beethoven's  '  Testament  * 
^    Symphony  No.  3 

Do.      No.  4 

The  Love-Letters 
Beethoven  at  Gneixbndorf 
\y    Symphony  No.  5 

Do.      No.  6 

Do.      No.  7 

Do.      No.  8 

Do.      No.  9 

SCHILLEE'S    Odb    '  An   DIE   FrEUDE 


PAQl 
V 

viii 
1 

16 

18 

45 

49 

96 

128 

131 

136 

182 

228 

271 

309 

400 


PREFACE, 


This  book  is  addressed  to  the  amateurs  of  this  country,  who 
have  so  immensely  increased  during  the  last  fifty  years  with 
the  increase  of  good  and  cheap  performances — a  movement 
headed  by  the  Crystal  Palace,  under  the  wise  and  able 
direction  of  Mr.  Manns.  In  short,  it  is  a  humble  endeavour 
to  convey  to  others  the  method  in  which  an  amateur  has 
obtained  much  pleasure  and  profit  out  of  works  which  in 
their  own  line  are  as  great  as  Shakespeare's  plays. 

It  would  be  presumptuous  in  me  to  attempt  to  interest 
professional  musicians,  who  naturally  know  already  all  that 
I  have  been  able  to  put  together,  and  much  more ;  and  in  a 
more  complete  and  accurate  manner. 

Some  readers  of  these  imperfect  remarks  may  possibly 
wish  to  pursue  such  investigations  farther;  and  I  therefore 
will  give  the  names  of  the  principal  books  which  I  have  found 
useful  in  my  studies  : — 

1.  Scores: 

These  should  always,  if  possible,  be  the  original 
editions  ;  they  were  approved  by  Beethoven  himself, 
and  whatever  their  faults,  they  come  nearer  his  wishes 
than  subsequent  editions.  I  have  given  the  full  title- 
page  in  the  case  of  each  Symphony. 

2.  Letters  : 

Briefe  Beethovens     .      .     .    von  Dr.  Ludwig  Nohl. 

Stuttgart,  1865. 
Neue  Briefe  Beethovens     .     .  von  Dr.  Ludwig  Nohl. 

Stuttgart,  1867. 


VI  PREFACE. 

83   neu   aufgcfimdene  Original  -  Briefe    Ludwig  van 

Beethovens     .     .    .     von  Dr.  Ludwig  Ritter  von 

Kochel.     Wien,  1865. 
Beethoven's  Letters      .      .      ,      translated  by  Lady 

Wallace.    2  vols.,  London,  1866. 
A  vast  number  of  fresh  letters  are  given  m  Mr.  Thayer's 

Biography. — See  below. 
8.  Biographies,  &o.  : 

Wegeler  und  Ries,  Biographische  Notizen      •      ,      • 

Coblenz,  1838,  1846. 
Schindler, 'Biographie  von  L.  van  Beethoven      .    •    • 

Edition  3.    2  vols.,  Miinster,  18G0. 
*  Aus  dem  Schwarzspanierhaus '  (the  house  in  which 

Beethoven  died),  by  G.  von  Breuning.     Vienna, 

1874. 
Ludwig  van  Beethovens  Leben  (1770-1816)      .     .    • 

A.  W.  Thayer,  3  vols.     Berlin,  1866-72-79. 
4.  Catalogues,  &o.  : 

Thematisches  Verzeichniss  der  im  Druck  erschienenen 

Werke  Beethovens,  Edition  2,  von  G.  Nottebohm. 

Leipzig,  1868. 
Chronologieches  Verzeichniss  der  Werke  Ludwig  van 

Beethovens,  von  A.  W.  Thayer.     Berlin,  1865. 
Ein  Skizzenbuch  von  Beethoven  (Symphony  No.  2) 

.     .     .     von  G.  Nottebohm.    Leipzig,  1865. 
Ein  Skizzenbuch  von  Beethoven  (Eroica)    .    .    .    von 

G.  Nottebohm.    Leipzig,  1880. 
Beethoveniana     .     .     .    von  G.  Nottebohm.  Leipzig, 

1872. 
ZweiteBeethoveniana,vonG.  Nottebohm.  Leipzig,1887. 

If,  in  addition  to  the  above,  there  could  be  published 
photographic  fac-sirniles  of  the  autographs  of  the  Symphonies 
of  which  autographs  exist,  everyone  would  virtually  have  in 
his  hands  Beethoven's  own  MSS.,  which  would  be  invaluable. 


PREFACE.  VU 

The  beautiful  fac-nmiles  lately  publiohed  of  his  Sonata  in 
A  flat,  Op.  26,  by  Dr.  Erich  Prieger  (Bonn  :  F.  Cohen,  1895), 
and  the  specimens  of  Bach's  handwriting  which  form  Vol.  44 
of  the  edition  of  the  Bach-Gesellschaft  (Leipzig,  1894),  show 
what  excellent  work  can  be  done  in  this  direction,  and  I  am 
not  without  hope  that  the  proposal  which  I  made  in  1891, 
and  which  was  so  warmly  received,  may  still  be  carried  out. 

I  am  anxious  to  express  my  obHgations  to  several  friends 
who  have  kindly  given  me  their  valuable  help  in  my  work, 
besides  those  whose  assistance  is  acknowledged  in  the  course 
of  the  volume.  To  Mr.  Edward  F.  Pember,  Q.C.,  Dr.  F. 
E.  Gladstone,  Mrs.  Victor  Henkel,  Mr.  F.  G.  Shinn,  Mr.  F. 
G.  Edwards,  Mr.  S.  P.  Waddington — to  all  these  and  others 
I  am  under  a  deep  debt  of  gratitude,  of  which  this  expressioi? 
is  a  very  inadequate  equivalent. 

G.  GKOVE. 

Lower  Sydenham, 
29th  February,  1896. 


The  early  demand  for  a  Second  Edition  has  given  me  the 
opportunity  of  correcting  a  few  errors  of  the  press,  and  some 
inaccurate  references,  which  had  escaped  me  before,  as  well  as 
of  adding  an  Index. 

G.  GROVE. 
BrdiJurw,  1896. 


LIST   OF   SYMPHONIES. 


No. 

Key. 

Opus 
No. 

Title. 

Date  of  completion 
when  ascertainable. 

Date  of  first 
performance. 

1 

c 

21 

April  2,  1800. 
April  5,  1803. 
April  7,  1805. 

9 

D 

86 

3 

E  flat  . . 

55 

Eroica 

August,    1804 

4 

Bflat  .. 

60 

1806 

March,  1807. 

f» 

C  minor 

F 

A 

67 
68 
92 

Pastoral 

December  22,  1808 

6 

December  22,  1808 

7 

May  (?)  13,1812 

December  8,  1813. 

8 

F 

93 

October,  1812 

February  27,  1814. 

9 

D  minor 

125 

Choral 

August,  1823 

May  7,  1824. 

Beethoven   was    born    December    16th,    1770,    and    died 
March  26th,  1827. 


SYMPHONY  No.  1,  in  C  major  (Op.  21). 

Dedicated  to  the  Baron  van  Swieten. 

Adagio  molto  (88 J) :  Allegro  con  brio  (112__iJ).     (C  major.) 

Andante  cantabile  con  moto  (120 J  ).     (F  major.) 

Menuetto  e  Trio  (108_J.).     (C  major.) 

Finale,  Adagio  (63 ^  ) :  Allegro  molto  e  vivace  (88 i;*).     (C  major.) 

The  metronome-marks  to  Symphonies  I.  to  VIII.  are  taken  from  the 
table  given  with  the  Allg.  musikalische  Zeitung  for  Dec.  17,  1817,  which 
purports  to  have  been  settled  by  the  composer  himself  with  Maelzel's 
metronome. 

The  Symphony  is  written  for  the  following  instruments,  which,  in  this 
and  all  the  other  cases,  are  gi^en  in  the  same  order  as  in  the  original 
score,  beginning  at  the  top  of  the  page. 


2  Drums  (in  C,  G). 
2  Trumpets. 
2  Horns. 
2  Flutes. 
2  Oboes. 


2  Clarinets. 

2  Bassoons. 

Violins,  1st  and  2nd. 

Violas. 

Basso. 


being  one  flute  and  two  clarinets  more  than  are  employed  by  Mozart  in 
the  '  Jupiter '  Symphony.     In  the  Andante  one  flute  only  is  employed. 

The  score  is  an  8vo  of  108  pages,  published  by  Simrock  in  1820. 
•  I"  Grande  Simphonie  en  Ut  majeur  (C  dur)  de  Louis  van  Beethoven. 
Oeuvre  XXI.  Partition.  Prix  9  Frs.  Bonn  et  Cologne  chez  N.  Simrock. 
1953.'  The  parts  were  published  by  Hoffmeister  &  Kiihnel,  Bureau 
de  Musique  (now  Peters),  Leipzig,  end  of  1801. 

In  hearing  this  Symphony,  we  can  never  forget  that  it  is 
the  first  of  that  mighty  and  immortal  series  which  seem 
destined  to  remain  the  greatest  monuments  of  music,  as 
Raffaelle's  best  pictures  are  still  the  monuments  of  the  highest 
point  reached  by  the  art  of  painting,  notwithstanding  all  that 
has  been  done  since.     Schumann  has  somewhere  made  the 


2  FIRST    SYMPHONY. 

just  remark  that  the  early  works  of  great  men  are  to 
be  regarded  in  quite  a  different  lighf  from  those  of  writers 
who  never  had  a  future.  In  Beethoven's  case  this  ia 
most  true  and  interesting,  and  especially  so  with  regard  to 
the  First  Symphony.  Had  he  died  immediately  after  com- 
pleting it,  it  would  have  occupied  a  very  different  position 
from  what  it  now  does.  It  would  have  been  judged  and  loved 
on  its  merits ;  but  we  should  never  have  guessed  of  what 
grander  beauties  and  glories  it  was  destined  to  be  the 
harbinger,  or  have  known  the  pregnant  significance  of  its 
Minuet. 

The  autograph  of  the  Symphony  is  lost,  and  no  evidence  ia 
known  to  exist  by  which  the  date  of  its  completion  can  be 
determined.  Probably  it  is  only  mislaid,  and  some  day  will 
be  revealed  with  that  of  Schubert's  Gastein  Symphony, 
Beethoven's  own  Eroica,  and  other  such  treasures.  Meantime 
sketches  for  the  Finale  are  found  among  the  exercises  which 
Beethoven  wrote  while  studying  counterpoint  under  Albrechts- 
berger  in  the  spring  of  1795.  One  of  these  is  quoted  by 
Nottebohm,  in  his  *edition  of  Beethoven's  studies,  as 
occurring,  with  sketches  for  *  Adelaide,'  amongst  the  fugues 
alia  decima  and  duodecima ;  and  they  probably  show  how  the 
impatient  student  relieved  his  mind  when  the  counterpoint 
became  too  tiresome  for  him.  It  was  five  years  later  before 
the  Symphony  came  to  a  hearing ;  since  it  was  first  performed 
in  public  in  1800,  on  the  2nd  April,  at  a  concert  given  by  its 
author  in  Vienna.  It  is  not  only  the  first  Symphony  which 
he  performed  or  published,  but  apparently  the  first  which  he 
completed.  Its  date  brings  home  to  us  in  an  unmistakable 
manner  the  deliberate  progress  of  Beethoven's  creations.     In 


*  Beethovens  Studien  .  .  .  von  Oustav  Nottebohm.  Erster  Band.  Leipzig, 
Rieter-Biedermann,  1873,  page  202.  See  also  Nottebohm's  remarks  in  his 
Zweite  Beethoveniana,  1887,  page  228.  He  seems,  however,  in  these  latter 
remarks  to  have  changed  his  miud,  and  to  consid/»«-  the  sketches  as  belonging 
to  an  earlier  work  than  Op.  21. 


INTRODUCTION.  8 

1800  he  was  thirty  years  old,  and  it  is  startling  to  recollect 
that  at  that  age  (in  1786)  Mozart  had  written  the  whole  of  his 
Symphonies  save  the  three  masterpieces;  and  that  though 
Schubert  was  but  thirty-one  when  he  died,  he  left  a  mass  of 
compositions,  including  certainly  nine,  and  probably  ten 
Symphonies  behind  him.  The  work  is  scored  for  the  usual 
orchestra  of  Haydn  and  Mozart,  with  clarinets  in  addition, 
which  they  very  rarely  employed  in  their  Symphonies, 
but  the  use  of  which  Beethoven  probably  learned  from 
Mozart's  operas.  The  ease  with  which  he  handles  the 
orchestra  in  this  his  first  large  work  is  somewhat  remark- 
able. His  only  orchestral  practice  before  it  would  seem  to 
have  been  his  two  Cantatas,  written  in  1790  on  the  death  of 
Joseph  II.  and  the  accession  of  Leopold  II. ;  the  first  move- 
ment of  a  Violin  Concerto  in  C,  and  his  two  Pianoforte 
Concertos,  in  *B  flat  and  in  C.  The  Symphony  is  dedicated 
to  the  Baron  van  Swieten,  a  friend  of  Beethoven's,  when  a 
stranger  in  Vienna,  as  he  had  been  of  Mozart's  (who  spells 
his  name  Suiten)  and  Haydn's  before  him.  This,  however, 
is  on  the  Parts,  which  were  published  by  Hoffmeister  and 
Kiihnel  (now  Peters),  of  Leipzig,  at  the  end  of  1801.  In 
the  earliest  score,  that  of  Simrock  (8vo,  No.  1953,  published 
in  1820),  the  Baron's  name  is  omitted.  What  honorarium  his 
patron  may  have  bestowed  is  not  known ;  but  in  the  list  of 
compositions  offered  by  Beethoven  to  Hoffmeister  (1801)  the 
Symphony  figures  at  the  modest  price  of  20  ducats,  or  £10. 

i^I.  The  work  commences  with  a  very  short  intro- 
ductory movement,  Adagio  molto.  In  his  2nd,  4th,  and  7th 
Symphonies  Beethoven  has  shown  how  extended  and  indepen- 
dent such  Introductions  can  be  made ;  but  the  present  one, 
like  many  of  Haydn's,  is  only  twelve  bars  in  length,  of  no 
special  form,  and  merely  serving  as  a  prelude  to  the  work. 
Though  short  it  is  by  no  means  without  points  of  historical 

*  The  B  flat,  though  numbered  second,  was  composed  before  the  other. 


4  FIRST    SYMPHONY. 

interest.  The  opening  may  not  seem  novel  or  original  to  us» 
but  at  that  date  it  was  audacious,  and  amply  sufiScient  to 
justify  the  unfavourable  reception  which  it  met  with  from  such 
estabhshed  critics  of  the  day  as  Preindl,  the  Abbe  Stadler, 
and  Dionys  Weber,  some  of  whom  established  a  personal 
quarrel  with  the  composer  on  this  ground  : — 


That  a  composition  professing  to  be  in  the  key  of  0  should 
begin  with  a  discord  in  the  key  of  F,  and  by  the  third  bar  be 
in  that  of  G,  was  surely  startling  enough  to  ears  accustomed 
to  the  regular  processes  of  that  time.  Haydn  has  begun  a 
Quartet  (in  B  flat,  Pohl,  No.  42)  with  a  discord  of  6-4-2 ;  and 
John  Sebastian  Bach,  who  seems  to  have  anticipated  every- 
thing that  later  composers  can  do,  begins  his  Church-Cantata* 
•  Widerstehe  doch  der  Siinde  '  with  the  formidable  discord  of 
7-5-4-2  on  a  pedal.  Beethoven  was  thus  not  wanting  in 
precedents,  if  he  had  known  them,  which  he  probably  did  not. 
The  proceeding,  at  any  rate,  evidently  pleased  him,  for 
he  repeats  it,  with  even  an  additional  grain  of  offence,  in  the 
Overture  to  his  Ballet  of  Prometheus  in  the  following  year. 
Another  of  his  compositions  beginning  with  a  discord  is  the 
Pianoforte  Sonata  in  E  flat  (Op.  31,  No.  3).  We  shall  see  that 
the  *  Eroica '  Symphony  was  originally  intended  to  open  with 
a  discord,  a  chord  of  the  6-5  on  D ;  but  this,  it  is  hardly 
necessary  to  say,  was  abandoned.  The  opening  of  the 
present  work  was  an  experiment ;  the  sharp  staccato  chorda 

♦  Bachgesellschaft.  Vol.  XII.,  Part  ii.,  p.  61. 


THE  ALLEGBO. 


in  the  strings,  which  never  can  be  effective,  even  in  the 
largest  orchestra,  when  overpowered  by  loud  holding  notes  in 
the  wind,  he  abandoned  in  the  Prometheus  Overture;  and 
when  he  again  employs  them  (in  the  opening  of  the  Fourth 
Symphony)  the  wind  is  carefully  hushed,  and  marked  pp. 
The  interest  of  the  discord  resides  in  the  fact  that  Beethoven 
was  even  then  suJB&ciently  prominent  to  put  such  Fathers  of 
the  Church  as  the  critics  named  on  the  qui  vive  for  his  heresy. 
In  the  Allegro  which  succeeds  this  Introduction  there  is 
not  much  to  call  for  remark.  The  leading  theme  is  as  follows 
— three  four-bar  phrases  in  the  strings,  artfully  protracted 
by  two  bars  of  wind — 


No.  2. 


Allegro  con  brio 


Wind^ — ^     (a) 


Strings  tr 


7tf 


And  here  again — in  the  transition  from  0  to  D  (bar  a) — there 
is  a  likeness  to  the  first  subject  of  the  Prometheus  Overture, 
with  which  indeed  the  whole  of  this  movement  has  much  in 
common.  The  same  transition  will  be  found  in  the  opening 
subject  of  the  String  Quintet  in  C  (Op.  29),  a  work  of  the 
year  1801,  and  in  the  fragment  of  a  Violin  Concerto  in  C 
major,  dating  from  about  the  same  time.  The  general  form 
of  the  figure,  and  the  repetition  a  note  higher,  have  been 
followed  by  Schubert  in  his  Symphony  in  B  flat  (No.  2), 
and  by  Weber  in  his  Overture  to  '  Peter  SchmolL' 


6  PIRST   SYMPHONY. 

There  is  another  fact  about  this  first  subject  which  should 
be  noticed — its  determination  to  mark  the  key,  a  great 
characteristic  of  Beethoven.  In  many  of  the  Sonatas  and 
Symphonies  (No.  2,  the  'Eroica,'  No.  8,  No.  9,  &c.)  the  chief 
subject  consists,  as  it  does  here,  of  Httle  more  than  the  notes 
of  the  common  chord  of  the  tonic  repeated ;  *  so  that,'  in  the 
words  of  an  eminent  *musician  of  the  present  day,  'the 
principal  key  shall  be  so  strongly  established  that  even  the 
most  stupid  persons  shall  be  able  to  realise  it.' 

The  second  subject,  in  the  *  dominant ' — key  of  G — 
according  to  rule,  is  very  melodious  and  agreeable,  and  the 
arpeggio  accompaniment  in  the  strings,  borrowed  from  bar  4 
of  the  first  theme  (see  No.  2),  and  the  broken  accents  in  bars 
5  and  6,  make  it  very  continuous  and  lively — 


No.  3. 


It  again  is  akin  to  the  analogous  subjects  in  the  Overture  to 
Prometheus  and  the  C  major  Quintet ;  and  all  these  are  of 
the  type  which  was  given  by  Mozart  in  his  Overture  to  the 
Clemenza  di  Tito.     (See  Jahn's  Mozart,  Transl.  iii.,  293.) 

A  very  effective  and  original  passage — almost  to  be  called 
an  episode — arises  out  of  this  theme  ;  where  the  bass  has  a 
portion  of  the  subject  in  the  minor,  with  a  separate  melody 
above  it,  first  in  the  oboe  and  then  in  the  oboe  and  bassoon 
in  octaves.     It  is  preceded  by  an  emphatic  bar  closing  in  G 

•  Dr.  Hubert  Parry,  Proceedings  of  Musical  Association,  xv.    p.  28. 


THE   ALLEGRO. 


major;  and  the  contrast  of  the  sudden  pianisaimo  and  the 
change  of  mode  is  both  effective  and  characteristic — 

No.  4. 


strings 

Oboe 

P  cres. 

^j^ 

-^r 

1    1  ..  .  r 

^f 

J: 

r 

^'^ *-kJJ 

1  rj ^#i> 

^y 

^^^ 

-|W.  _  >•* 

4*^- 

^■P#f  f" 


The  modulations — G  minor,  B  flat,  E  minor,  and  G  major — 
are  worthy  of  notice. 

The  first  part  of  the  Allegro  ends  with  a  short  Coda  of  nine 
bars,  containing  a  new  phrase — 


No.  5. 


and  a  passage  for  the  wind  alone.  The  first  part  is  then 
repeated,  according  to  the  excellent  rule  laid  down  by  Haydn. 
In  the  '  working-out,'  which  follows  the  repeat,  there  is  not 
much  to  call  for  remark,  except  the  prevalence  of  imita- 
tive progressions,  which  would  have  pleased  his  master, 
Albrechtsberger,  but  which  Beethoven  soon  moderated 
when  left  to  himself.  Of  these  we  may  quote  one  or  two, 
which  will  be  recognised  in  the  course  of  the  working-out- 
No- s-  Flute 


Viol.  1.1*" 


8 


FIRST   SYMPHONY. 


and  tins : — 

No.  7.  Strings 


Another  refers  to  the  principal  subject  (see  No.  2),  and  is 
admirably  divided  among  the  wind  instruments — 

Fi.  rfl  L^       ^ — —  — P^ 

Ob.       fe/.-^    =  bJ.       bi       J  li*L  -^  bJ.    b J 


No.  8. 


i 


r-rsbi 


^^^. 


'^ 


i 


ua 


Fag.      L-fl  Viol!ui 

The  recapitulation  is  shortened,  and  shows  great  differences 
in  the  instrumentation.  The  Coda  which  closes  the  first 
movement,  after  repeating  in  the  tonic  the  phrase  already 
quoted  as  No.  6,  combines  the  wind  instrument  passage 
with  the  first  subject  (No.  2),  and  goes  on  for  forty  bars 
in  all.  It  is  an  early  and  good  example  of  a  feature  which, 
though  not  Beethoven's  invention  (see,  for  instance,  the  FinaU 
to  Mozart's  '  Jupiter  '  Symphony),  was  but  rarely  used  by 
previous  writers  of  Symphonies,  and  first  became  a  prominent 
characteristic  in  his  works. 

v^  II.    The  second  movement,  Andante  cantabile    con   moto, 
which  begins  as  follows — 

No.  9.       Andante  cantabile  con  moto. 


Viol.  2.  CeUo'J;_>  •      ^^      *°' 

is  an  old  and  well-known  favourite.  Here  again  we  have 
occasionally  to  remark  passages  which  recall  the  strict 
contrapuntal  school  of  Albrechtsberger.  On  the  other  hand, 
there  is  an  elegance  and  beauty  about  it  far  above  any  school, 
and  worth  any  amount  of  elaborate  ornamentation  ;  as  well  as 
continual  little  sallies  of  fun  and  humour.  The  beginning  of 
the  second  part  of  the  movement  is  a  perfect  example  of  this. 


THE   ANDANTE. — DKUMS. 


9 


After  the  last  quotation  is  completed  the  theme  is  continued 
in  this  elegant  style — 


No.  10. 


An  original  passage  will  be  noticed  in  which  the  drum  has 
an  independent  solo  part — 


No.  11.  Drum 


^^^^ 


&c. 


The  passage  comes  over  three  times,  first  on  G,  with  the 
trumpets  in  octaves,  as  the  pedal  bass  to  the  Coda  of  the 
first  section  ;  next  on  C,  at  the  close  of  the  working-out, 
immediately  before  the  recapitulation  ;  and  again,  on  C,  in 
the  passage  analogous  to  the  first  occurrence.  In  order  to 
carry  this  out  Beethoven,  probably  for  the  first  time  in  the 
annals  of  the  orchestra,  has  tuned  his  drums,  not  according 
to  practice  in  the  key  of  the  movement,  which  being  F 
would  require  F  and  C,  but  in  the  key  of  the  dominant,  C — 
namely,  in  C  and  G.  This  passage  foreshadows  his  remark- 
able individual  use  of  the  drums  and  other  instruments  in  his 
subsequent  orchestral  works.  It  is  the  direct  parent  of  the 
drum  solos  in  the  Andante  of  the  Fourth  Symphony,  the  Finale 
of  the  Fifth  Pianoforte  Concerto,  the  opening  of  the  Violin 
Concerto,  &c.  The  recapitulation  itself  is  prepared  for  by  seven 
elegant  bars  of  dotted  semiquavers  in  the  first  violins  (soli), 
and  two  calls  in  the  clarinet  and  bassoon,  of  charming  effect. 
The  dialogue-passages,  in  short  phrases,  between  the  bassoon, 
oboe,  and  flute,  in  the  second  portion  of  this  beautiful  Andante, 
will  not  escape  the  listener.  They  might  be  the  parents  of 
Schubert's  performances  in  this  direction  ;  and  a  lovely  echo 
of  them  will  be  found  in  Brahma's  First  Symphony.     How 

OroYC— Beethoven's  Nine  SymphonieB.—NoYello's  Edition.       B 


TO 


FIRST   SYMPHONY. 


such  short  phrases  can  be  so  beautiful  will  always  be 
aslonishiDg.— Otto  Jahn  in  his  Mozart  (Transl.  i.,  825)  draws 
attention  to  a  likeness  between  the  close  of  this  movement  and 
a  passage  in  the  corresponding  movement  of  a  Pianoforte 
Concerto  of  Mozart's  in  E  flat,  dated  1777  ;  but  I  have  not 
been  able  to  compare  them. 

III.  The  Minuet  and  Trio  form  the  most  original  portion  of 
the  work.  And  they  are  original  in  every  sense  of  the  word. 
In  the  former,  though  he  entitles  it  Minuet,  Beethoven 
forsook  the  spirit  of  the  minuet  of  his  predecessors,  increased 
its  speed,  broke  through  its  formal  and  antiquated  mould,  and 
out  of  a  mere  dance-tune  produced  a  Scherzo^  which  may 
need  increased  dimensions,  but  needs  no  increase  of  style  or 
spirit,  to  become  the  equal  of  those  great  movements  which 
form  such  remarkable  features  in  his  later  Symphonies.  The 
change  is  less  obvious  because  Beethoven  has  adhered  to  the 
plan  and  measure  of  the  old  Minuet  and  Trio,  instead  of 
adopting  others,  as  Mendelssohn  did  in  his  Scherzos,  and  he 
himself  in  at  least  one  instance,  the  Allegretto  vivace  of 
the  Sonata  in  E  flat.  Op.  31,  not  to  speak  of  the  Trio 
of  the  Ninth  Symphony,  both  of  which  are  in  4-4  time.  But 
while  listening  to  this  movement  we  have  only  to  bear  in  mind 
the  best  Minuets  of  Haydn  or  Mozart  to  recognise  how  great 
is  the  change,  and  to  feel  that  when  Beethoven  wrote  this  part 
of  his  First  Symphony,  he  '  took  a  leap  into  a  new  *world.' 
The  movement  begins  as  follows — 


No.  12. 


Allegro  molto  e  vivace. 


*  Tliese  words  are  the  late  Mr.  J.  W.  Davison's,  a  voluminous  and  soand 
eommentator  on  Beethoven. 


THE   MINUET. 


11 


Some  of  these  phrases  are  actually  used  in  the  Scherzo  of  the 
Seventh  Symphony — 


No.  13 


and  they  maintain  in  a  very  material  way  the  connection 
between  the  '  Minuet '  of  Beethoven's  First  Symphony  and  the 
gigantic  movements  which  fill  its  place  in  the  latest  ones. 
Indeed  it  may  be  said  that  we  should  never  have  known  the 
full  meaning  of  this  Minuet  unless  we  had  the  Scherzo  of 
the  Seventh  Symphony  to  interpret  it  by. 

It  is  the  second  portion  of  this  'minuet,'  beyond  the  double 
bar,  that  Beethoven  has  made  most  use  of  in  the  bold  modu- 
lar o-ni  and  shifting  colours  with  which  he  develops  his  idea, 
until  the  small  canvas  glows  with  the  vigorous  and  suggestive 
picture.  The  modulation  into  B  flat  minor,  and  the  unexpected 
and  masterly  escape  back  to  0  major  and  the  original  theme, 
though  familiarly  known  to  musicians,  may  well  be  quoted 
here.  The  characteristic  way  in  which  Beethoven  has  em- 
phasized this  modulatory  passage  by  accompanying  it  with  two 
notes  out  of  the  theme  itself  is  very  interesting — 

No.  14. 

Violins 


This  movement  was  a  distinct  novelty  in  1800.     When  some 
wie  was  discussing  with  Haydn  a  rule  of  Albrechtsberger, 


12 


FIRST   SYMPHONY. 


Beethoven's  master,  that  in  strict  composition  all  fourths 
should  be  absolutely  banished,  the  old  composer— with  a 
characteristic  combination  of  sense  and  daring,  qualities  in 
which  he  almost  equalled  his  great  successor — broke  off  the 
conversation  with  the  words,  *  What  nonsense  !  how  much 
more  to  the  purpose  it  would  be  if  someone  would  show  us 
how  to  make  a  new  minuet'  (Griesinger,  p.  114).  Here,  if 
he  had  ever  heard  it,  he  would  surely  have  found  the  new 
minuet  he  sought  for  1  Would  he  have  approved  of  it  when  • 
he  did  hear  it  ? 

The  Trio,  or  intermezzo  between  the  so-called  Minuet  and 
its  repetition,  departs  a  long  way  from  the  original  plan, 
under  which  the  Trio  was  only  a  second  minuet.  It  is  here  a 
delicious  dialogue  betw^een  the  wind  and  stringed  instruments — 


Wind 


8va.  ■    &c. 

A  similar  alternation  of  wind  and  strings  will  be  found  in  the 
Trio  of  the  Fourth  Symphony,  though  in  a  more  ethereal  style 
than  here. 

IV.  The  Finale  is  throughout  as  bright  as  bright  can  be, 
but  it  must  be  confessed  that  it  is  more  in  the  sprightly 
vein  of  Haydn  than  in  that  of  the  Beethoven  of  later  years. 
The  humorous  and  coquetting  passage,  for  instance.  Adagio 
and  six  bars  in  length,  with  which  the  movement  starts,  and 
which  leads  up  to  the  first  theme — 

No  16. 

Adagio. 

^ E^-^,, 


THE   FINALE. — TUEK. 


13 


is,  both  in  itself  and  in  the  manner  of  its  recurrence,  quite 
in  the  vein  of  the  'Father  of  the  Orchestra.' — Among  the 
curious  stories  told  of  the  treatment  of  Beethoven's  Sym- 
phonies by  conductors,  not  the  least  curious  is  the  fact  that 
Tiirk,  a  considerable  musician,  when  director  of  the  Musical 
Society  at  Halle  in  1809,  always  omitted  this  passage  because 
he  felt  sure  that  it  would  make  the  audience  laugh  I  Strange 
impertinence  on  the  part  of  Tiirk  I  If  Beethoven  wanted  us  to 
laugh,  why  should  we  not  ?  Its  author  had  certainly  no  such 
feeling  towards  the  passage,  for  he  has  introduced  a  similar  one 
into  the  Cadenza  which  ends  the  Allegro  in  the  Finale  of  his  C 
minor  Concerto  (Op.  37 j,  which  was  completed  in  1800  : — 


No.  17. 


The  first  theme  itself  is  in  two  portions,  each  of  eight  bars — 

No.  18.  Allegro  molto  e  vivace. 


In  the  sketch  of  the  Finale  alluded  to  in  the  opening  of  these 
remarks  the  subject  appears  in  the  followiug  form — 

No.  19. 


.pS 


i^i*:: 


The  phrase  of  accompaniment   quoted  at  a.    No.   18,    ia 
used  in  '  double  counterpoint ' — that  is    to  say,   it  change* 


14 


FIRST    SYMPHONY. 


place  with  the  melody  above  it,  and  becomes  itself  the  tune. 
This  gives  rise  to  much  imitation  and  repetition  of  recurring 
passages.  The  short  interval  between  the  first  and  second 
subjects  is  not  yet  treated  in  that  organic  way  which  Beethoven 
afterwards  employed,  but  remains,  as  in  Haydn  and  Mozart, 
a  mere  interpolation.  It  contains  a  passage  on  the  descending 
scale — 


&c. 

which  recalls  a  similar  figure  in  the  Finale  of  Mozart's 
so-called  '  Jupiter '  Symphony,  in  the  same  key,  and  which 
indeed  may  be  found  in  analogous  places  in  the  works  of  many 
composers,  including  Brahms' s  First  Symphony.  The  second 
subject,  running  spontaneously  out  of  the  preceding,  is  intro- 
duced by  a  pretty  figure  in  the  first  fiddles — « 

No.  21. 


and  accompanied  by  a  lively  moving  bass,  as  follows — 


The  Coda  is  again  of  considerable  length,  but  with  the 
exception  of  an  alteration  of  the  introductory  passage,  and 
the  following  short  phrase  in  the  wind  instruments,  it  contains 
nothing  of  importance^ 


No.  23. 

Cor.  &  Ob. 


EARLY  CRITICISMS.  15 

Nothing  can  be  more  full  of  movement  and  spirit  than  the 
whole  of  this  Finale.  It  never  hesitates  from  beginning  to  end. 
Still  it  is  unquestionably  the  weakest  part  of  the  work,  and 
its  frequent  imitations,  and  progressions  of  scale-passages, 
give  it  here  and  there  an  antiquated  flavour  of  formality  or 
over-regularity  which  is  not  characteristic  of  our  Beethoven, 
and  is  strangely  in  contrast  with  the  novelty  of  the  third 
movement.  We  have  remarked  the  same  thing,  though  in 
a  less  degree,  in  the  opening  Allegro. 

The  finish  and  care  observable  throughout  the  work 
are  very  great.  Beethoven  began  with  the  determination, 
which  stuck  to  him  during  his  life,  not  only  of  thinking  good 
thoughts,  but  of  expressing  them  with  as  much  clearness  and 
intelligibihty  as  labour  could  effect;  and  this  Symphony 
is  full  of  instances  of  such  thoughtful  pains. 

Besides  the  offence  given  by  the  discord  of  the  opening, 
which  has  been  already  noticed,  the  work  in  general  did  not 
escape  some  grave  censure.  Thus,  in  an  early  *notice,  the 
Symphony  and  the  three  Pianoforte  Trios  of  Op.  1  are 
treated  together.  The  Trios  are  mentioned  with  good- 
natured  contempt  as  '  confused  explosions  of  the  overweening 
conceit  of  a  clever  young  man.'  But  a  firmer  tone  is  taken 
with  the  Symphony,  which  is  denounced  as  '  a  caricature 
of  Haydn  pushed  to  absurdity.'  In  spite  of  such  nonsense 
the  work  quickly  became  a  great  favourite,  and  is  spoken  oi 
in  terms  which  now  seem  extravagant.  Thus  the  AUgemeine 
musikalische  Zeitung,  Feb.  13,  1805,  p.  321,  describing  a  per- 
formance at  Vienna,  calls  it  *  a  glorious  production,  showing 
extraordinary  wealth  of  lovely  ideas,  used  with  perfect  connec- 
tion, order,  and  lucidity.'  Even  C.  M.  von  Weber,  always  a 
keen  critic  of  Beethoven's  Symphonies,  calls  iifeung  stromend. 
In  the  notices  of  the  Philharmonic  performances  in  the  Har- 
monicon  from  1823  to  1826,  it  is  *  the  brilliant  Symphony ' 
— •  the  great  favourite,'  and  so  on. 

*  Repriuted  in  the  Allg.  mus.  Zeitung,  July  23,  1S2S,  p.  488,  note. 


16  FIRST    SYMPHONY. 

Beethoven's  principal  compositions  in  the  key  of  G  major, 
besides  the  Symphony,  are  as  follows  : — 

Mass,  Op.  86 ;  Overtm-es  to  '  Prometheus,'  '  Leonora  * 
(1,  2,  and  3),  Op.  115,  and  Op.  124 ;  Pianoforte  Concerto,  No.  1 ; 
Triple  Concerto,  Op.  56  ;  String  Quintet,  Op.  29  ;  String 
Quartet,  Op.  59,  No.  3;  Sonatas,  Op.  2,  No.  3,  and  Op.  53; 
83  Variations,  Op.  120. 


Shortly  after  the  appearance  of  the  Symphony  an  arrange- 
ment of  it  was  published  without  any  indication  of  its  being 
an  arrangement,  and  this  drew  forth  the  following  protest  from 
the  composer,  which  was  inserted  in  the  Wiener  Zeituiig  of 
October  30,  1802.* 

*  Notice. 

*  I  think  it  due  to  the  public  and  myself  to  state  that  the 
two  Quintets  in  C  and  E  flat — of  which  one,  extracted  from  a 
Symphony  of  mine,  is  published  by  Herr  Mollo,  of  Vienna, 
and  the  other,  extracted  from  my  Septet  (Op.  20),  is 
published  by  Herr  Hoffmeister,  of  Leipzig— are  not  original 
quintets,  but  only  adaptations  [translations — ubeisetzungen] 
of  the  publishers'  doing. 

*  Arrangement  is  a  thing  against  which  now-a-days  (in 
times  so  fruitful — of  arrangements)  a  composer  has  to  strive 
in  vain.  But  one  has  at  least  the  right  to  demand  that 
pubHshers  should  state  the  fact  on  the  title-page,  so  that  the 
composer's  honour  may  not  be  endangered  or  the  public 
deceived.  This,  therefore,  it  is  hoped  may  be  guarded  against 
for  the  future. 

'  I  desire  at  the  same  time  to  mention  that  a  new  original 
Quintet  of  my  composition,  in  C  major,  Op.  29,  will  very 
shortly  be  issued  by  Breitkopf  and  Hartel,  of  Leipzig. 

*  LuDwiG  VAN  Beethoven.* 

*  Tliay«r,  Biography,  ii.,  196.  Also  in  the  Allg.  mua.  Zeitung,  in  th« 
InteUigenzblatt,  for  November  1802  (No.  4  of  Vol.  V.i. 


A  composer's  troubles.  17 

This  protest  Beethoven  shortly  followed  by  a  complaint  with 
reference   to   the  last-mentioned    work,   in   a    letter  which 
appeared  in  the  Wiener  Zeitung  of  January  22,  1803.* 
'  To  Amateuks  op  Music. 

*  While  informing  the  public  of  the  appearance  of  my 
original  Quintet  in  0,  Op.  29,  so  long  announced,  through 
Messrs.  Breitkopf  and  Hartel,  of  Leipzig,  I  also  wish  to  explain 
that  I  have  no  concern  with  the  edition  of  that  work  which 
was  issued  at  the  same  time  by  Messrs.  Artaria  and  Mollo,  of 
Vienna.  I  am  specially  driven  to  this  explanation  by  the  fact 
that  the  edition  is  so  faulty  and  inaccurate  as  to  be  of  no  use  to 
players,  while,  on  the  other  hand,  all  has  been  done  by  Messrs. 
Breitkopf  and  Hartel,  the  rightful  proprietors  of  the  quintet,  to 
make  their  edition  as  perfect  as  possible. 

*  LuDwiG  VAN  Beethoven.' 

Not  long  before  this  Beethoven  had  discovered  four  bars 
which  had  been  quietly  inserted  by  the  publisher  in  the  proof 
of  his  great  Sonata  in  G  (Op.  31,  No.  1),  fortunately  in  time 
to  be  corrected  before  publication.  Eiest  has  given  an 
amusing  account  of  the  occurrence.  The  passage — which  is 
still  to  be  found  in  editions  of  authority — formed  bars  28  to 
31  before  the  end  of  the  first  movement. 

Truly  composers  had  much  to  suffer  in  those  days  ficm  the 
publishers  I 


*  Thayer,  ii.,  214.  f  Ries,  JVotizen,  p.  88. 


SYMPHONY  No.  2,  in  D  (Op.  36). 

Dedicated  to  Prince  Carl  Lichnowsky. 

s  I 

Adagio  molto  (84__*  ) :  Allegro  con  brio  (100_r=*).     (D  major.) 

Larghetto  (92_0i  ).     (A  major.) 

Scherzo  and  Trio— Allegro  (100_^.).     (D  major.) 

Allegro  molto  (152 >->).     (D  major.) 

2  Drums. 
2  Trumpets. 
2  Horns. 
2  Flutes. 
2  Oboes. 


2  Clarinets. 

2  Bassoons. 

1st  and  2nd  Violins. 

Violas. 

Basso. 


The  drums  are  not  employed  in  the  Larghetto. 

The  first  score  is  an  8vo  of  162  pages,  published  in  1820.  'II™* 
Grande  Simphonie  en  E6  majeur  (D  dur)  de  Louis  van  Beethoven. 
CEuvre  XXXVI.  Partition.  Prix  14  Frs.  Bonn  et  Cologne  chez 
N.  Simrock.  1959.'  The  parts  were  published  March,  1804,  by  the 
Bureau  d'Arts  et  d' Industrie  (now  Haslinger),  at  Vienna. 

The  Second  Symphony  appears  to  have  been  completed 
by  the  close  of  the  year  1802,  and  is  thus  separated  from  the 
first  by  an  inconsiderable  interval.  Having  once  broken 
the  ice,  Beethoven  advanced  rapidly  on  the  new  current. 
It  is  interesting  to  observe,  in  these  great  masters,  when 
once  they  have  tasted  the  sweets  of  orchestral  composition, 
how  eagerly  they  rush  into  that  great  career.  Schumann's 
first  Symphony  was  delayed  till  he  wa,s  thirty-one,  and 
the  second  was  produced  during  the  same  year.  So, 
too,  Brahms,  having  delayed  the  completion  of  his  first 
Symphony  till  his  forty-fourth  year,  composed  and  produced 
the  second  in  little  more  than  twelve  months.*   The  summer  of 

*  First  Symphony  produced  at  Carlsruhe,  November  4,  1876 ;  second  at 
Vienna,  December  24,  1877. 


DESPONDENCY.  19 

1802,  from  May  to  October,  was  passed  by  Beethoven  at 
his  favourite  resort  of  Heiligenstadt,  near  Vienna ;  and  the 
6th  of  October  in  that  year  is  the  date  of  the  despairing 
letter*  to  his  brothers,  usually  known  as  '  Beethoven's  Will,' 
which  bewails  his  deafness  in  the  most  tragic  manner, 
and  was  evidently  written  under  the  influence  of  one  of 
those  fits  of  depression  to  which,  as  his  life  advanced,  he 
too  often  became  a  prey,  and  in  apparent  expectation  of 
speedy  death  :— *  As  the  autumn  leaves  fall  and  wither, 
so  have  my  hopes  withered.  Almost  as  I  came,  so  I  depart; 
even  the  lofty  courage,  which  so  often  inspired  me  in  the  lovely 
summer  days,  has  vanished.'  'With  joy  I  hasten  to  meet 
death  face  to  face.'  Such  is  the  tone  of  the  whole 
document.  Similarly,  his  intimate  friend  Breuning,  writing 
to  Wegeler,  says,  *  You  could  not  believe  the  indescribable,  I 
might  say  horrible  effect,  which  the  loss  of  his  hearing  has 
produced  on  -j-him.'  No  such  feeling,  however,  can  be  traced 
in  the  Symphony.  On  the  contrary,  there  is  not  a  single 
desponding  bar  in  the  whole  work  ;  it  breathes  throughout 
the  spirit  of  absolute  confidence  and  content ;  not  the  brilliant 
exhilaration  which  distinguishes  the  Fourth  of  the  Nine,  or 
the  mighty  exuberant  fun  of  the  Seventh  and  Eighth,  but 
the  gaiety  and  satisfaction  of  a  mind  thoroughly  capable  and 
content  with  itself.  Strong  as  were  the  feelings  which 
dictated  the  *  Will,'  they  could  not  last.  At  that  season  of 
life  grief  is  rarely  permanent.  Beethoven  escaped  from  the 
demon  of  despondency  as  soon  as  he  began  to  compose,  the 
inward  voice  calling  so  loudly  and  so  sweetly  as  to  make  him 
forget  his  deafness  to  the  outer  world,  and  the  isolation  which 
distressed  his  affectionate  and  genial  heart  when  he  had 
time  to  brood  over  it. 

Important  sketches  for  the  Symphony  are  foimd  in  a  note- 
book which  was  included  in  the  sale  of  Beethoven's  effects, 

*  See  the  letter  reprinted  in  full,  p.  45. 
t  Thayer,  ii.,  260. 


20  BECOND   SYMPHONY. 

and  came  afterwards  into  the  possession  of  Herr  Kessler  of 
Vienna.  These  note-books,  of  which  fifty-one  were  dispersed 
At  the  sale  referred  to,  at  prices  varying  from  1*25  to  3  florins, 
usually  consisted  of  one  or  two  quires  of  large  oblong 
music-paper,  as  gray  and  coarse  as  a  grocer's  wrapping 
paper,  roughly  sewn  together.  In  these  every  musical  idea 
as  it  occurred  to  the  composer  was  jotted  down,  often  only 
to  be  scratched  out  again,  and  re-written  in  an  altered,  though 
probably  slightly  altered,  form.  It  was  a  •  bad  custom,'  to 
use  his  own  *words,  which  he  had  followed  from  childliood. 
It  was  a  very  fortunate  custom  for  us,  who  love  to  investigate 
the  procedure  of  this  great  inventor.  But,  whether  a  bad  or 
good  habit,  it  is  most  characteristic  of  Beethoven,  and 
completely  contradicts  the  popular  idea  of  him  as  a  writer 
who  dashed  down  everything  as  it  occurred  to  him — who 
wrote,  as  someone  has  said,  *  by  flashes  of  lightning.'  In 
fact,  so  tentative  was  he  that  he  might  have  been  the 
inventor  of  the  proverb,  *  Second  thoughts  are  best.' 
The  quantity  of  music  contained  in  the  sketch-books 
is  enormous.  *  Had  he,'  says  one  who  knew  them 
well,  'carried  out  all  the  symphonies  begun  in  these 
books,  we  should  have  at  least  fifty.'  And  the  same  is  true 
of  Concertos,  Sonatas,  Overtures,  and  other  forms  of  piece. 
A  Pianoforte  Concerto  in  D  (1815),  an  Overture  on  the  name 
of  Bach  (1822),  music  to  'Macbeth'  (1808),  may  be 
named  among  the  treasures  which  advanced  far  beyond  the 
embryo  stage,  and  barely  escaped  coming  into  the  world.  But 
to  return  to  Symphony  No.  2,  w^hich  happily  was  completed. 
The  sketches  are  intermingled  with  others  for  the  well-known 
set  of  three  Sonatas  for  piano  and  violin  (Op.  30)  ;  for  the 
three  noble  Pianoforte  Sonatas  which  form  Op.  31 ;  for  the 
Trio,  'Tremate' — published  many  years  later  as  Op.  116 — 
and  other  less  important  works.     This  very  book  has  been 

•  Letter,  July  23,  1815. 


HABITS  OF  COMPOSITION.  21 

printed  and  published  entire,  with  elucidatory  *remarks,  by 
Herr  Nottebohm,  the  great  Beethoven  investigator,  who  has 
done  so  much  to  familiarise  us  with  the  contents  of  the  com- 
poser's sketch-books,  and  with  the  history  of  his  works  and 
their  connection  with  each  other ;  and  it  supplies  an  insight  into 
Beethoven's  habit  of  working  at  several  things  at  once,  as 
well  as  his  general  method  of  composition,  which  is  most 
interesting  and  instructive  to  all  students  of  his  music.  *  I 
live  only  in  my  music,'  says  he,  in  a  letter  of  1800  to 
his  early  friend  Wegeler ;  *  and  one  piece  is  hardly  down 
before  another  is  already  begun.  As  I  am  now  writing,  I  often 
make  three  and  four  pieces  at  once.'  For  this  habit  Beethoven 
was  remarkable  among  composers,  especially  when  the  exhaus- 
tive nature  of  his  treatment  is  considered.  How  different  in 
this  respect  was  he  fi'om  other  great  writers !  We  are  familiar 
with  Macaulay's  confession :  *  It  is  one  of  my  infirmities, 
that  I  cannot  heartily  and  earnestly  apply  my  mind  to  several 
subjects  together,'  and  he  often  bewails  it.  Goethe,  too, 
says  much  the  same  : — '  If  you  have  a  great  work  in  your 
head  nothing  else  thrives  in  its  vicinity.'  On  the  other 
hand,  Mr.  Watts,  the  eminent  painter,  has,  we  believe, 
in  a  general  way,  several  pictures  on  hand  at  the  same  time ; 
and  takes  them  up  at  will,  one  after  the  other,  without 
the  slightest  break  of  continuity  in  conception.  So  with 
Beethoven,  each  work,  great  or  smaU,  seems  to  thrive 
quite  independently  of  the  otherB.  The  sketches  of  the 
Symphony  contained  in  the  book  alluded  to  appear  to 
have  been  made  in  the  early  part  of  1802,  and  are  chiefly 
for  the  Finale.  They  occupy  eleven  large  and  closely 
written  pages,  and,  besides  scattered  sketches  and  memo- 
randa, contain  three  long  drafts  of  the  movement — two  of 
the  first  portion  only,  but  the  third  of  the  entire  Finale,  The 
differences  in  these  three  are  very  interesting  in  themselves, 

*  '  Ein  Skizzenhuch  von  Beethoven.    Beschrieben  und  ,  ,  .  dargesiellt  von  G. 
^^ottebohm.'    Leipzig :  Breitkopf  und  Hartel  (1865). 


22  SECOND   SYMrnONY. 

and  still  more  interesting  as  a  token  of  the  gradual, 
laborious,  and  pertinacious  process,  often  to  be  referred  to  in 
these  notices,  by  which  this  great  genius  arrived  at  the 
results  which  appear  so  spontaneous  and  bid  fair  to  be  so 
enduring.* 

Ferdinand  Ries,  Beethoven's  pupil,  in  his  BiograpJiische 
Notizen,  furnishes  us  with  an  interesting  anecdote,  a  propos 
of  this  Symphony,  illustrating  the  extreme  care  which  his 
master  bestowed  on  every  note.  Speaking  of  the  Laryhetto — 
which,  by  the  way,  he  calls  Lar ghetto  guasi  Andante — Ries 
says,  what  everyone  will  agree  with,  that  it  is  so  lovely,  pure, 
and  cheerful  in  tone,  and  the  motion  of  the  instruments  so 
natural,  that  it  is  difficult  to  conceive  its  having  ever  been 
different  to  what  it  is  at  present.  '  And  yet,'  he  continues, 
*  an  important  part  of  the  accompaniment  near  the  beginning 
has  been  altered  both  in  the  first  violin  and  viola,  though  so 
carefully  that  it  is  impossible  to  discover  the  original  form  of 
the  passage.  I  once  asked  Beethoven  about  it,  but  could  only 
get  the  dry  reply.  It's  better  as  it  is.'  Ries  is  here  possibly 
referring  to  the  exquisite  figures  with  which  the  violin  and 
viola  accompany  the  theme  on  the  repetition  of  each  portion 
by  the  clarinets,  in  the  early  part  of  the  movement — an 
accompaniment  which  may  well  have  suggested  to  Schubert 
the  analogous  figures  in  the  Andante  of  his  great  Symphony 
in  C.     But  this  is  mere  conjecture. 

The  late  Mr.  Cipriani  Potter,  who,  if  not  a  pupil  of  the 
great  composer,  spent  some  months  in  his  company  at  Vienna 
in  1817,  was  fond  of  stating  that  Beethoven  made  no  less 
than  three  complete  scores  of  the  Symphony  before  he  could 
please  himself.  These  are  all  lost ;  and  not  even  the  last  one, 
the  final  result  of  so  much  labour,  though  formerly  in  the 
possession  of  Ries,  is  known  to  exist.  But  remembering  the 
two  scores  of  the  Leonora  Overture  (Nos.  2  and  3)  and  the 

*  See  an  interesting  allusion  to  this  characteristic  habit  of  Beethoven's  in  the 
Mcoud  collection  of  Schiunann's  Letters.    Translation,  Vol.  II.,  78,  No.  184. 


THE   INTBODUCTION.  23 

evidence  of  Beethoven's  many  note-books,  it  is  easy  to  believe 
Mr.  Potter's  statement,  and  equally  natural  to  infer  that 
Beethoven  often  re-wrote  his  great  works,  even  though  the 
trial  copies  have  by  accident  or  design  vanished.  Accidents 
were  frequent  in  the  establishments  of  composers  in  those 
days.  Three  of  Schubert's  large  works  were  used  by  the  maid 
to  light  fires  ;  and  Beethoven  himself,  after  many  searches 
and  much  not  unnaturally  bad  language,  discovered,  just 
in  time,  that  large  portions  of  the  manuscript  of  his  Mass  in 
D  had  been  used  to  wrap  up  boots.  Much  nearer  to  our  own 
times,  and  in  the  hands  of  a  far  more  careful  person  than  either 
Beethoven  or  Schubert,  the  autograph  and  only  manuscript 
of  the  unprinted  first  volume  of  Carlyle's  '  French  Revolution' 
was  torn  up  day  by  day  to  light  the  fire  ! 

The  Second  Symphony  is  a  great  advance  on  the  First.  In 
the  first  place  it  is  longer.  Compared  with  the  First  Sym- 
phony, the  Introduction  is  thirty-three  bars  long  instead  of 
twelve,  and  the  Allegro  con  brio  328  instead  of  286 ;  the 
Larghetto  is  one  of  the  longest  of  Beethoven's  slow  movements 
— and  so  on. 

The  advance  is  more  in  dimensions  and  style,  and  in 
the  wonderful  fire  and  force  of  the  treatment,  than  in  any 
really  new  ideas,  such  as  its  author  afterwards  introduced 
and  are  specially  connected  in  our  minds  with  the  name 
of  Beethoven.  The  first  movement  always  more  or  less 
gives  its  cachet  to  a  Symphony ;  and  here  the  first  move- 
ment is  distinctly  of  the  old  world,  though  carried  out  with  a 
spirit,  vigour,  and  effect,  and  occasionally  with  a  caprice, 
which  are  nowhere  surpassed,  if  indeed  they  are  equalled,  by 
Haydn  or  Mozart.  Nor  is  there  anything  in  the  extraordinary 
grace,  beauty,  and  finish  of  the  Larghetto  to  alter  this ;  nor 
even  in  the  Scherzo  and  Trio,  which,  notwithstanding  their 
force  and  humour,  are  scarcely  so  original  as  the  Minuet  of 
No.  1 ;  nor  in  the  Finale^  grotesque  and  strong  as  much  of 


24 


SECOND    SYMPHONY. 


it  is  :  it  is  all  still  of  the  old  world,  till  we  come  to  the  Coda, 
and  that,  indeed,  is  distinctly  of  the  other  order. 

Another  characteristic  which  seems  to  mark  the  historical 
place  of  the  Second  Symphony  is  that,  in  the  slang  of  modem 
criticism,  it  is  *  pure  music'  No  one,  to  our  knowledge,  has 
ever  suggested  a  programme  or  image  for  any  of  its  movements, 
nor  is  anyone  likely  to  do  so,  except  for  the  conclusion  of  the 
Finale,  and  in  hearing  that  images  certainly  do  crowd 
irresistibly  on  the  mind.  This  Symphony  is,  in  fact,  the 
culminating  point  of  the  old,  pre-Revolution  world,  the  world 
of  Haydn  and  Mozart ;  it  was  the  farthest  point  to  which 
Beethoven  could  go  before  he  burst  into  that  wonderful  new 
region  into  which  no  man  had  before  penetrated,  of  which  no 
man  had  even  dreamed,  but  which  is  now  one  of  our  dearest 
possessions,  and  will  always  be  known  by  his  immortal  name. 

I.  The  Introduction,  Adagio  molto,  though  nearly  three 
times  the  length  of  the  last,  is  still  too  short  to  admit  of  any 
development.  It  opens  with  a  great  unison  D,  and  a  melodious 
passage  in  four-part  harmony  for  the  oboes  and  bassoons, 
given,  on  repetition,  to  the  strings,  with  delightful  changes 
both  of  melody  and  harmony  :  — 


No.  1.    Adagio  molto. 


Flntes  &  Clar. 


INTRODUCTION. — ALLEGRO  CON  BRIO. 


25 


The  rest  consists  of  passages  of  imitation  between  bass  and 
treble,  and  of  good  modulation,  all  couched  in  beautiful  and 
melodious  forms,  and  ending  with  a  very  graceful  passage  in 
double  counterpoint  over  a  pedal  of  ten  bars'  length  on  A, 
resolving  into  the  tonic  on  the  first  note  of  the  Allegro  con  brio: 


^^S^!^MM=M: 


It  is  strange  at  this  early  date  to  meet  with  the  arpeggio  of 
the  chord  of  D  minor,  in  a  shape  which  almost  textually 
anticipates  the  Ninth  Symphony — 
No.  3.  ^..  .m. 

The  opening  of  the  principal  theme  of  the  Allegro  is  one  of 
the  passages  just  alluded  to  as  belonging  to  the  old  school  in 
the  distinct  definition  and  regularity  of  its  construction — 

No.  4.  Violin  cres. 

Allegro  con  brio. 


^r^Tl'Yrfr^ 


cr&a.  f 

Grov2.— Beetlioven"B  Nine  Symphonies.— No vello's  Edition.       0 


26 


SECOND    SYMPHONY. 


But  though  square  in  cut  it  is  by  no  meang  wanting  in 
spirit ;  and  the  fiery  flash  of  the  fiddles  in  the  interval  between 
the  two  sections  of  the  subject  (bar  4  of  the  quotation)  ia 
splendid,  and  gives  a  good  specimen  of  the  extraordinary 
energy  which  imbues  that  seraphic  instrument  throughout 
the  entire  work. 

The  passage  which  connects  this  theme  with  the  second, 
though  broad  and  free,  has  not  entirely  lost  the  character  of 
•  padding,'  which  these  connecting  links  too  often  bear  in  the 
Symphonies  of  the  earlier  masters  ;  and  does  not  spring  out 
of  the  vital  material  as  it  does  in  Beethoven's  subsequent 
work — 


No.  5. 

J. 


_CI^?£fe^-f^jiT^. 


The  second  theme  itself — 


No.  6, 


Fag.  8va. 


^^^^ 


Clars.  p 


has  a  certain  precise  military  air  about  it,  but  is  full  of  vivacity, 
and  is  wonderfully  set  off  by  the  energetic  brilliancy  of  the 
violins,  which  here  (bar  8),  as  in  the  first  theme,  rush  in 
between  the  strains  of  the  subject. 

On  the  repetition  of  the   subject  in  the  flutes,  clarinets, 
horns,  and  bassoons,  it  is  accompanied  by  the  strings  in  a 


SECOND    SUBJECT.      BEETHOVEN's   CAPRICE. 


27 


delightful  tremolo,  a  figure  which  is  quite  a  characteristic  of 
this  Symphony — 


strings        p  /■*• 

The  passage  which  follows  the  second  subject  is  cast  in  a 
quasi-canonical  form — 


smacking  strongly  of  the  old  school,  and  not  founded  on  the 
materials  already  quoted.  It  is  after  eight  bars  of  this  con- 
necting matter  that  the  capricious  passage  occurs,  to  which 
allusion  has  been  already  made,  and  which  is  the  more 
interesting  because  it  seems  to  act  as  a  warrant  for  something 
similarly  wilful  in  others  of  the  Symphonies.  Beethoven  is 
about  to  close  in  the  key  of  A,  is,  in  fact,  within  one  chord  of 
so  doing,  (*)  when  it  occurs  to  him  suddenly  to  interrupt  the 
close  by  the  intrusion  of  ten  bars — 

J   1  '"-id  .-gf-    ^-^ 


ff  -"■    vp-w^^j^^fT^^^^' 


Is  0.  9, 


28 


SECOND    SYMPHONY. 


made  up  from  a  characteristic  fif^ure  in  the  first  theme  (see 
No.  4),  and  of  excellent  effect,  but  still  absolutely  capricious 
in  their  introduction  here,  and  doubtless  a  great  puzzle  to  the 
hearers  of  1803. 

The  working-out  is  masterly,  not  only  for  its  contrivances 
— canon,  double  counterpoint,  modulations,  &c. — but  also 
for  its  effects  of  instrumentation,  beautiful  solo  use  of  the 
wind,  brilliant  figures  for  the  viohns,  and  new  accompani- 
ments to  the  subjects — witness  especially  the  triplets  which 
accompany  the  second  subject  in  a  passage  shortly  before  the 
reprise.  In  the  reprise  itself  a  good  deal  of  condensation  occurs. 
The  Coda,  though  brilliant  and  effective,  contains  no  new  or 
very  striking  features. 

II.  The  Lar ghetto,  in  its  elegant,  indolent  beauty — which 
is  seriously  impaired  if  the  movement  is  taken  too  fast— is  an 
absolute  contrast  to  the  sharp,  definite,  somewhat  peremptory 
tone  of  the  Allegro.  Its  repetitions  are  endless,  but  who  ever 
wished  them  curtailed  ? 

That  strain  again— it  had  a  dying  fall. 

It  is  in  A,  the  dominant  of  the  original  key,  and  is  couched 
in  the  ordinary  *  first  movement '  form.  Its  principal  theme 
is  ui  two  strains  of  eight  bars  each,  each  strain  given  out  by 
the  strings  and  then  repeated  by  the  wind,  with  exquisite 
enrichments  in  the  violins — 


No.  10.  ^       ^  ,, 

^  Lar ghetto 


In  a  book  of  sketches  in  the  Bibliothek  at  Berlin,  Mr. 
Shedlock  has  recently   discovered   the   followmg   fragment 


THE   LARGHETTO. 


29 


apparently  a  very  early  draft  of  this  beautiful  melody  (the 
signature  of  A  major  must  be  understood) — 


No.  12. 

— 03^ 

1*    i 

^Cftpr 

=r=^=r^ 

^ 

-•-=)- 

-» 

H=d 

nvn 

T   ^^^^ 

h ' 

tt: 

That  given  by  Thayer,  in  his  Thematisches  VerzeicJmiss  (No.  103), 
and  by  Nottebohm,  in  his  publication  of  the  Sketch  Book  of 
1802  (p.  11),  already  spoken  of,  would  seem  to  be  rather 
aimed  at  the  slow  movement  of  Symphony  No.  5 — 


No.  13.  Andante  Sinfonia. 


Corni  soli. 


It  may  have  been  intended  for  this  Symphony,  but  can  hardly 
be  a  sketch  for  the  present  Larghetto. 

After  the  repetition  of  the  strain  quoted  as  No.  11,  a  con- 
tinuation is  afforded  by  the  following  melody,  alternating 
between  wind  and  string — 


No.  14. 


Clar. 


piw       )Sf1    viol.    0«^ 


V  jv^ 


Upon  this  follows  the  second  theme  proper  of  the  movement, 
in  the  orthodox  key  of  E  major ;  a  theme  which  maintains  the 
same  character  as  the  foregoing,  with  a  certain  pleasant,  lazy 
grace  inherent  in  its  sjmcopations,  both  of  melody  and  bass, 
which  will  be  noticed  in  the  Adagio  of  the  Ninth  Symphony. 
It  is  given  first  plain — 


So.  15.       VioL  1 


&«. 


BasBi  P 


80 


SECOND    SYMPHONY. 


and  then  in  a  florid  form.  And  this  leads  to  a  short  passage 
of  close  harmony  (the  origin  of  which  may  perhaps  he  traced 
in  a  Quartet  of  Haydn's — No.  U  in  Peters's  Collection,  *  15  '— 
f\s  follows) : — 


No.  16. 


:!-- 


:s=|: 


3S=}: 


'^ 


1r 


^ 


iti^t 


though  Beethoven  has  added   a  point  in  the  cross  accents. 
He  gives  the  passage  first  with  the  strings  alone — 


No.  17, 


and  then  with  the  full  band.  Eight  bars  of  fanciful  drollery 
(anticipating  the  demisemiquavers  of  the  next  quotation) 
lead  into  the  key  of  E,  and  to  the  following  beautiful  passage, 
which  is  worthy  to  be  the  second  chief  theme  of  the  move- 
ment, though  technically  it  is  merely  the  development  of  the 
ordinary  coda-figure.  This  is  given  out  by  the  cellos,  with 
second  violins  in  octaves — 


Its    quaint    grace,     the     contrast     of     legato    and     staccato. 
and  the   air  of  quasi-mystery   that   pervades  it — as  if  the 


THE   LARGHETTO. 


31 


^elIo3  "vvsre  communicating  some  segreto  d'  importanza  in 
a  stage-whisper  —  are  full  of  inimitable  though  quiet 
humour. 

This  ends  the  first  section  of  the  Larghetto  and  completes 
the  materials  of  the  movement.  But  Beethoven  (with  a 
curious  contrast  to  the  rough  bluntness  of  his  manners)  seeme^ 
bent  on  showing  us  with  what  minute  refinement  he  can  set 
off,  adorn,  and  elaborate  the  lovely  ideas  which  he  has  thus 
laid  before  us  in  their  simple  form.  The  labour  and  pains 
involved  in  the  process  must  have  been  immense ;  but, 
here  as  elsewhere,  he  never  spared  himsdlf,  and  never  relin- 
quished a  passage  till  it  was  as  good  as  he  could  make  it ; 
and  hence  one  great  part  of  the  secret  of  the  immortality  of 
his  music. 

The  working-out  section  begins  at  once  with  a  modification 
of  the  initial  theme  (No.  10)  in  the  minor,  thus  deiiciously 
introduced — 


No.  19. 


FagTP" 


and  developed  for  some  considerable  time  with  consummate 
skill,  great  beauty  of  modulation,  and  continual  variety 
of  nuance. 

As  the  working-out  proceeds  the  ornamentation  grows 
more  and  more  rich,  delicate,  melodious,  and  fanciful. 
Here  is  a  specimen  of  imitation,  bar  by  bar,  between 
the  oboes  in  octaves,  with  bassoon  a  further  octave  lower, 
and  the  basses,  with  an  elegant  figure  in  the  first  violin,  and 
an  excitinc?  iteration  in  the  violas  and  cellos — 


SECOND    SYMPHONY, 


Viol. :;  L  SS  i 


.  vioi.^^^^ i        i       ob.r— ] — i 

t=r=H-:^'?:===i4*-*U--nrfStt^.      ^      = 


^^^M 


H^-    H 


ff 

VI.  2 

Violas 


531 I  -Bi»        ■        r  1 H. ; 


The  figures  are  so  clearly  and  craftily  designed,  and  the  instni- 
mentation  is  so  thin  and  so  nicely  calculated,  that  there  is  no 
difficulty  in  following  it  all  in  performance.  These  airy  and 
refined  ornaments  may  well  have  been  Schubert's  models 
for  the  similar  enrichments  which  so  greatly  adorn  the  Andante 
of  his  great  Symphony  in  C.  We  know,  at  any  rate,  that  the 
movement  now  before  us  was  especially  dear  to  him,  from 
the  fact  that  he  has  followed  it  (down  even  to  details)  in  the 
slow  movement  of  his  Grand  Duo  (Op.  140)  for  the  pianoforte 
in  C  major.*  And  doubtless  he  'heard  the  angels  singing' 
in  the  Larghetto  of  Beethoven's  Second  Symphony,  as  we 
know  that  he  did  in  the  Trio  of  Mozart's  G  minor. 

So  flowing  and  vocal  throughout  is  this  beautiful  move- 
ment in  its  subjects,  their  developments  and  ornaments,  that 
it  is  not  surprising  that  it  has  been  frequently  arranged  for 
voices  and  for  instrumental  chamber  music.  Of  the  former, 
one,  which  still  commands  a  certain  sale,  dates  from  as  early 
as  the  year  1831,  and  is  a  duet  for  two  sopranos,  with  piano 
accompaniment,  arranged  by  Professor  Edward  Taylor,  and 

*  Instrumented  by  Joachim,  and  played  at  the  Crystal  Palace  on 
Mfirch  4,  1876.  'Siufonie  von  Franz  Scliubert.  Nach  Op.  140  iustrnmbntii-t 
von  Joseph  Joachim.'    Vienna  :  F.  Schreiber. 


THE    SCHERZO. 


88 


inscribed  to  Mr.  Thos.  Attwood,  one  of  the  leading  musicians 
of  the  day.  Another,  published  in  Germany,  is  for  soprano 
Bolo,  to  words  by  Silcher,  of  equal  significance. 

III.  The  Scherzo,  in  D,  is  more  individual  and  original  than 
either  of  the  preceding  movements — though  still  below  the 
level  of  the  Beethoven  whom  we  know.  Its  picturesqueness 
and  force,  the  humorous  alternations  of  soft  and  loud,  and 
of  dashes  and  dots  (too  much  neglected  in  the  recent  editions), 
and  the  directness  of  the  means  for  producing  them,  are 
remarkable.     It  opens  thus — 


No.  21.  Allegro. 


Tutti 


and  after  sixteen  bars  comes  the  double  bar,  and  then  the 

following  piquant  tune,  and  wild  solution  (again  with  the 
rushing  fiddles) — 

No.  22.  


This  is  worked  for  some  little  time  with  a  kind  of  obstinate 
monotony,  and  then  repeated,  till  at  length  the  first  tune 
returns,  this  time  in  oboe  and  bassoon,  heralded  in  the  most 
saucy  manner  by  the  alternate  play  of  the  two  violins — 

No.  23. 


Fag.  ores. 

Nothing  more  picturesque  and  seizing  can  well  be  imagined. 


84 


SECOND   SYMPHONY. 


The  Trio — still  in  D,  and  wanting  no  subtle  change  of  key 
to  make  it  interesting — begins  with  the  following  melody 
harmonized  in  four  parts  for  oboes  and  bassoons,  reinforced 
at  the  sixth  bar  by  the  horns — 


-<s_ 


^ 


Oboe 


This  is  repeated,  making  sixteen  bars  in  all.  We  are  then, 
without  an  instant's  warning,  plunged  head  over  ears  into  F 
sharp  major,  and,  as  it  were,  held  there  till  the  water  runs 
into  our  eyes  and  ears — 


No.  25.                    -        . . 

-f-tr-il 1|/,    1^, 

^-^H.^.J.  U. 

"nl 

-^1- 

^^^^^^ 

35^  *&^:^ 

Ji 

^^^ 

p  decres. 


PP 


then  as  suddenly  back  again  into  D,  fortissimo — 


No.  26 


Ur^.    ObJ.        ^.         J,  J 


fe= 


^^ 


X=i^ 


'-^ 


■:^-. 


^5* 


i=t: 


& 


Jf 


^fe 


The  spirit  and  vigour  of  these  two  little  movements  are  really 
astonishing.  The  music  seems  sometimes  almost  to  fly  at  your 
throat.  Note  the  constant  sudden  contrasts  both  in  amount 
and  quality  of  sound.  In  amount  we  find/,  p,  ff,  pp  alternately 
almost  throughout.  In  quality  we  have  first  the  full  orchestra, 
then  a  single  violin,  then  two  horns,  then  two  violins,  then 
the  full  orchestra  again,  all  within  the  space  of  half-a-dozen 
bars.  But  the  end  is  chiefly  gained  by  all  kinds  of  unexpected 
changes  of  key,  not  mere  senseless  freaks,  but  chang^es  both 


:^=^ 


EIGHTEENTH    CENTURY   MUSICIANS.  86 

sudden  and  suitable,  such  as  at  once  to  rouse  the  attention,  and, 
with  all  their  oddity,  to  convince  the  reason  and  satisfy  the 
taste.  We  start  in  D  ;  then  in  a  moment  are  in  B  flat,  then 
in  A,  then  in  D,  then  in  F.  Then  there  is  the  change  already 
noticed  in  the  Trio,  into  F  sharp,  and  back  at  a  blow  into  D  ! 

Such  changes  of  key  and  tone  were  too  abrupt  for  the  older 
composers.  The  musicians  of  the  eighteenth  century  were  too 
commonly  the  domestic  servants  of  archbishops  and  princes, 
wore  powder,  and  pigtails,  and  swords,  and  court  dresses,  and 
gold  lace,  passed  their  time  bowing  and  waiting  in  ante- 
rooms, dined  at  the  servants'  table,*  and  could  be  abused 
and  even  kicked  out  of  the  room,  as  Mozart  actually  was, 
and  discharged  at  a  moment's  notice  like  ordinary  lackeys. 
Being  thus  forced  to  regulate  their  conduct  by  etiquette,  and 
habitually  to  keep  down  their  emotions  under  decorous  rules 
and  forms,  they  could  not  suddenly  change  all  their  habits 
when  they  came  to  make  their  music,  or  give  their  thoughts 
and  feelings  the  free  and  natural  vent  which  they  would 
have  had,  but  for  the  habits  engendered  by  the  perpetual  curb 
and  restraint  of  their  social  position.  In  this  light  one 
can  understand  the  jovial  life  of  Mozart,  the  skittles  and 
the  suppers,  and  all  the  rest.  It  was  his  only  outlet,  and 
must  have  been  necessary  to  him — ^vital.  But  Beethoven 
had  set  such  social  rules  and  restrictions  at  naught.  It 
was  his  nature,  one  of  the  most  characteristic  things  in  him, 
to  be  free  and  unrestrained.  Almost  with  his  first  appearance 
in  Vienna  he  behaved  as  the  equal  of  everyone  he  met,  and 
after  he  had  begun  to  feel  his  own  way,  as  he  had  in  this 
Symphony,  his  music  is  constantly  showing  the  independence 
of  his  mind. 

It  is  remarkable  that  nearly  twenty  years  later,  in  the 
composition  of  the  Trio  of  the  Ninth  Symphony,  Beethoven 
should   have    returned    to   so    early  a  work  as  this.      The 

*  This  fact  is  specially  mentioned  in  one  of  Mozart's  Letters. 


36 


SECOND   SYMPHONY. 


following  sketch,   however,  probably  of  1818,  is  quoted  by 
Nottebohm* — 


Wo.  27. 


Sinfonia  3tes  Stuck. 


It  shows,  at  any  rate,  that  a  moving  bass,  which  forms  so 
conspicuous  a  feature  in  the  actual  Trio  of  No.  9,  was 
originally  intended  to  be  a  feature  of  the  movement. 

IV.  But  to  go  back  to  the  work  itself,  it  possesses  what  the 
First  Symphony  did  not  exhibit  to  the  same  degree,  but  what 
is  so  eminently  characteristic  of  all  the  other  eight — individu- 
ality. It  may  be  possible — if  a  mere  amateur  can  be  allowed 
the  confession— to  confound  for  a  moment  in  recollection 
the  first  movement  of  the  First  Symphony  with  the  Overture 
to  •  Prometheus,'  or  its  Finale  with  one  of  Haydn's  Finales. 
But  with  the  Second  Symphony  this  is  not  possible.  Each 
one  of  its  four  sections  is  perfectly  distinct  and  individual  in 
its  own  proper  character,  and  cannot  be  confounded  with  any 
other  movement  in  any  Symphony  or  other  composition,  of 
Beethoven  or  of  any  one  else.  The  very  terms  in  which  it  is 
spoken  of  by  the  early  critics  show  how  astonishing  it  was  to 
the  public  of  that  day.  The  first  Allegro  and  the  Scherzo  were 
the  favourite  movements.  The  Allegro  is  constantly  termed 
•colossal'  and  'grand,'  words  which  now  could  scarcely  be 
applied  to  it  with  propriety.  The  Larghetto,  strange  to  say,  is 
hardly  mentioned ;  in  fact,  in  Paris  they  had — so  Berlioz 
tellsf   us — to    substitute  the  Allegretto    from    the    Seventh 


*  Zweite  Beetlwveniana,  p.  1G5, 

f  Voyage  Musical,  Sac,  Paris,  1841,  i.,  265,  266. 


THE   FINALE.  87 

Symphony  in  order  to  make  the  No.  2  {jo  down  at  all. 
But  the  Finale  puzzled  everybody;  it  was  so  harsh  (grell), 
wild,  bizarre,  and  capricious.  It  was  this  oddity  in  the 
Finale — this  want  of  decorum,  rather  than  any  obscurity 
arising  from  depth  of  thought — and  the  difficulty  felt  by  the 
performers  in  mastering  the  technique  of  the  entire  work 
(which  is  always  spoken  of  as  extraordinarily  hard  to  play), 
that  were  the  two  main  complaints  in  the  notices  of  the  early 
performances.  We  may  be  thankful  that  we  now  feel  neither 
of  these  drawbacks,  and  that  our  only  sentiment  is  amuse- 
ment at  the  humour  and  personality  of  the  music,  delight  at 
its  grace,  and  astonishment  at  its  energy  and  fire.  Beside 
the  Finales  to  Beethoven's  Fourth,  Fifth,  Seventh,  and 
Eighth  Symphonies,  with  which  we  are  all  so  familiar,  that 
of  No.  2  finds  a  lower  level ;  but  at  that  date  those  great 
works  were  non-existent.  The  Finale  to  Mozart's  G  minor 
was  the  most  fiery  thing  in  that  line  that  the  world  then 
possessed.  But  the  Finale  of  Beethoven's  No.  2  has  got 
all  the  fire  of  that,  with  an  amount  of  force,  humour,  and 
abruptness  that  even  Mozart  never  evinced,  and  that  must 
have  taken  everyone  by  surprise  in  1803,  and  have  com- 
pelled them  into  listening  to  it,  against  their  will,  against 
their  aesthetic  judgment  and  sense  of  propriety,  and  every- 
thing else. 

It  is  in  the  form  called  a  Eondo  (though  not  strictly  that) 
and  starts  in  the  most  abrupt  fashion  and  very  fast  {Allegro 
molto) — 

A  llegro  tnoltc. 


88 


SECOND   SYMPHONY. 


Then  comes  a  passage  which  can  hardly  bo  called  a  subject 
or  episode — 

No.  29. 


dol. 


wn 


¥^ 


J— J-f 


'^m 


rrt 


Btrinps  fi 


PI-- 


^ 


^r^^ 


«S:c 


puz.  \  '  I 

but  its  high  spirits  are  in  excellent  keeping  with  that  which 
precedes  it,  and  it  leads  well  into  the  second  subject,  which, 
though  not  extraordinary  in  itself,  is  most  spontaneous,  and 
very  pleasant  in  sound,  with  its  vocal  passages  for  oboe  and 
bassoon,  and  would  be  well  calculated  to  allay  the  fever  with 
which  its  predecessor  started  if  its  lively  accompaniment  were 
not  too  full  of  motion  (notice  here  again  especially  the  fiery 
intrusions  of  the  viohns) — 


No.  30. 


i 


Alleqro  molto. 
Clar.  Ob. 


Viol. 


5=: 


^i-13,si^ 


^ 


Ob. 


m 


P  Fag. 

Viol. 
sf  1^ 


=^^t3?^ 


Ob.  erea. 


=^-^ 


Fag. 


P 


cres.^ 


Long  as  this  subsidiary  theme  is — unusually  long  for 
Beethoven — it  is  immediately  repeated  in  the  minor ;  and 
then,  after  a  passage  of  padding,  comes  the  repetition  of  the 
opening  subject,  led  up  to  by  a  phrase  formed  out  of  its  two 
initial  notes,  and  accompanied  by  the  bassoon  in  arpeggios. 
This  leads  into  a  working-out,  with  a  great  deal  of  humorous 
play,  before  the  reprise  of  the  original  material  is  reached.  In 
the  reprise  the  second  subject  (No.  30)  is  repeated  in  D,  and 
this  again  is  followed  by  a  long  and  very  original  Coda, 
This  begins  with  the  opening  suhiect  CNo.  28),  but  soon 


•THE   FINALE.      CODA. 


89 


comes  to  a  pause,  first  on  the  chord  of  A,  with  the  dominant 
seventh  on  C  sharp,  and  then  on  the  chord  of  F  sharp 
upon  A  sharp.  And  now  begins  the  most  individual  and 
Beethovenish  part  of  the  entire  work.  It  is  as  if,  after  tha 
chord  of  F  sharp,  we  had  passed  through  a  door  and  were 
in  a  new,  enchanted  world.  All  that  we  have  heard  before 
vanishes.  Earth  is  forgotten,  and  we  are  in  Heaven.  The 
rhythm  changes  ;  the  bass  goes  down  octave  after  octave 
pianissimo,  distinctly  heard  through  the  thin  scoring — 


No.  31.  (skek  ton) 


crea.  pizz. 

a  fresh  subject  comes  in  in  the  wind ;  the  opening  theme  is  once 
more  alluded  to,  but  only  to  lead  into  an  entirely  new  thought 
— a  magic  shimmering,  impressive  as  the  evening  sun  shining 
broad  and  low  on  the  ocean;  a  lovely  flowing  melody  in 
the  oboe  and  bassoon,  accompanied  in  notes  of  equal  value  by 
the  basses,  and  with  a  pedal  D  through  three  octaves  in  the 
horns  and  violins.  The  beauty  of  this  passage  words  cannot 
describe  ;  it  is  pure  Beethoven,  a  region  full  of  magic  and 
mystery,  into  which  no  one  before  ever  led  the  hearers  of 
music.  After  further  working  we  arrive  at  another  pause, 
this  time  on  F  sharp  itself;  a  short  resumption  of  the  former 
new  rhythm  follows,  intensified  by  the  bass  being  j;i>;stcato; 
but  it  doea  noi  last ;  a  rapid  ending,  and  the  whole  is  over ! 


40 


gECOND    SYMPHONY. 


Such  IS  tliis  beautiful  work  as  it  was  given  us  by  its  author 
ninety  years  ago,  at  his  concert  on  the  Tuesday  in  Holy 
Week,  1803.  And  even  now,  after  nearly  a  century  of  progress 
in  music,  of  infinitely  greater  progress  than  that  in  any  other 
art — after  Beethoven's  own  enormous  advance,  after  Schu- 
mann, Brahms,  Wagner — even  now,  what  can  be  newer  or 
pleasanter  to  hear  than  the  whole  Symphony  ?  What  more 
delicious  than  the  alternate  lazy  grace  and  mysterious  humour 
of  the  slow  movement,  the  caprice  and  fire  and  enchantment 
of  the  Finale  ?  To  this  very  day  the  whole  work  is  as  fresh 
as  ever  in  its  indomitable  fiery  flash  and  its  irresistible  strength. 
Were  ever  fiddles  more  brilHant  than  they  are  here  ?  more 
rampant  in  their  freaks  and  vagaries,  bursting  out  like  flames 
in  the  pauses  of  the  wind,  exulting  in  their  strength  and 
beauty — say  between  the  sections  of  the  opening  theme  in  the 
first  Allegro — 


dim.  P 

or  between  those  of  the  second  theme  in  the  same  movement- 


or  in  a  similar  position  in  the  Finale — 

Allegro  molto. 


or  in  the  Larghetto — 


Had  ever  the  bassoon  and  oboe  such  parts  before  ?  and  eo  on 
throughout.     Listen  to  it,  and  see  if  it  is  not  so. 


BRILLIANT   ROLE    OF   THE   VIOLINS.  41 

In  connection  with  the  violins,  I  may  be  pardoned 
for  mentioning  a  fact  which,  remembering  Beethoven's 
minute  attention  to  such  points,  must  surely  have  some 
intentional  significance — I  mean  the  prominent  occurrence  in 
every  movement  of  a  tremolo  figure — 


^^^^^ 


in  the  fiddles.  It  is  found  in  the  Allegro  con  brio,  in  the 
brilliant  passages  accompanying  the  first  subject,  in  the 
equally  brilliant  figures  accompanying  the  second  subject,  and 
in  the  working-out  of  the  same  movement.  In  the  Larghetto 
it  frequently  occurs  ;  also  in  the  F  sharp  passage  in  the  Trio ; 
and  in  the  most  characteristic  part  of  the  Coda  of  the  Finale 
it  is  peculiarly  effective.  It  might  almost  be  taken  as  a  motto 
for  the  work.  We  shall  encounter  it  again  in  the  Fourth 
Symphony. 

In  some  respects  the  Second  Symphony  is,  though  not 
the  greatest,  the  most  interesting  of  the  nine.  It  shows 
with  peculiar  clearness  how  firmly  Beethoven  grasped  the 
structural  forms  which  had  been  impressed  on  instrumental 
music  when  he  began  to  practise  it ;  while  it  contains  more 
than  a  promise  of  the  strong  individuality  which  possessed 
him,  and  in  his  works  caused  him  to  stretch  those  forms  here 
and  there,  without  breaking  the  bounds  which  seem  to  be 
indispensable  for  really  coherent  and  satisfactory  composition. 
*  The  same  structure,'  says  Wagner,*  '  can  be  traced  in  his 
last  sonatas,  quartets,  and  symphonies  as  unmistakably  as  in 
his  first.  But  compare  these  works  one  with  another,  place 
the  Eighth  Symphony  beside  the  Second,  and  wonder  at 
the  entirely  new  world  in  almost  precisely  the  same  form.' 

It  has  been  well  said  that 

Two  worlds  at  once  they  view 

Who  stand  upon  the  confines  of  the  new  ; 

♦  Wagner's  Beethoven— DzxnxreViiliQx'B  translation  (Reeves,  1880),  p.  42, 
Grove.— Beethoven's  Nine  Symphonies.— Novello's  Edition.       D 


42  SECOND   SYMPHONY. 

and  taking  our  stand  in  the  beautiful  work  which  we  have 

just  been  endeavouring  to  trace,  or  rather  perhaps  in  the 
Coda  of  its  Finale,  we  can  survey  at  a  glance  the  region  which 
lies  behind — the  music  of  the  eighteenth  century,  at  once 
strong,  orderly,  elegant,  humorous,  if  perhaps  somewhat 
demure ;  and  that  more  ideal  region  of  deeper  feeling, 
loftier  imagination,  and  keener  thrill,  radiant  with  '  the  light 
that  never  was  on  sea  or  land,'  a  region  which  was  opened 
by  Beethoven,  and  has  since  been  explored  by  his  noble 
disciples,  not  unworthy  of  so  great  a  master. 

The  Symphony  was  first  performed  on  the  Tuesday  in  Holy 
Week  ('  Char-Dmstag'),  5th  April,  1803,  at  a  concert  given  by 
Beethoven  in  the  *  Theater-an-der-Wien,'  Vienna,  when  the 
programme  included  also  the  Oratorio  'The  Mount  of  Olives,' 
the  First  Symphony,  and  the  Piano  Concerto  in  C  minor.*  The 
date  of  the  earliest  edition  is  March,  1804 — that  is,  the  parts; 
the  score  does  not  appear  to  have  been  published  till  1820,  by 
Simrock,  of  Bonn.  The  work  was  dedicated  to  Beethoven's  very 
good  friend  Prince  Charles  Liclmowsky.  It  was  arranged  by 
the  composer  himself  as  a  Trio  for  pianoforte  and  strings, 
which  is  published  in  Breitkopf's  complete  edition,  No.  90. 

The  orchestra  is  the  ordmary  Haydn-Mozart  one — without 
trombones,  but  with  the  addition  of  clarinets,  and  the 
orchestral  effects  are  often  strikingly  like  those  in  Mozart's 
operas,  that  of  *  Figaro,'  for  instance. 

We  have  now  endeavoured  to  trace  the  two  first  steps  in 
Beethoven's  Symphonic  career.  The  next  we  shall  find  to  be 
a  prodigious  stride. 

He  was  always  on  the  advance.  Even  in  1800,  in  forward- 
ing 'Adelaide'  to  Mathison  the  poet,  he  says:  'I  send  the 
song  not  without  anxiety.  You  yourself  know  what  change 
a  few  years  make  when  one  is  always  advancing.  The 
greater  one's  progress  in  Art,  the  less  is  one  satisfied  with 


*  Thayer,  ii,,  222.    The  report  in  the  A.  m.  Z.  mentions  the  Oratorio  only. 


Beethoven's  dislike  of  nis  early  works.        43 

one's  earlier  works.'  And  he  put  tins  maxim  into  practice  with 
characteristic  energy.  The  famous  Septet,  which  at  its  first 
performance  in  April,  1800,  when  Haydn's  oratorio  was  all 
the  fashion,  he  jokingly  called  his  '  Creation,'  and  which  is 
now  a  greater  favourite  than  ever  with  musicians  and  amateurs 
alike,  he  afterwards  detested,  and  would  have  annihilated  if  he 
could.  '  What  is  that  ?  '  he  said,  on  one  occasion  in  his  later 
life  to  the  daughter  of  his  friend  Madame  Streicher,  as  she  was 
playing  the  well-known  ever  green  Thirty-two  Variations  in  0 
minor,  so  beloved  by  Mendelssohn  in  his  late  years.  *  What 
is  that  ?  Why  your  own  1  '  *  Mine  ?  That  piece  of  folly 
mine?'  was  the  rejoinder  ;  •  Oh,  Beethoven,  what  an  ass  you 
must  have  been  I  '  In  1822  a  conversation  is  recorded  with  a 
Madame  Cibbini,  very  touching  when  one  thinks  of  this  great 
master,  whose  artistic  life  had  been  one  upward  progress 
since  the  days  when  he  began  to  compose.  The  lady  said  that 
he  was  *  the  only  composer  who  had  never  written  anything 
weak  or  trivial.'  *  The  devil  I  am  ! '  was  the  retort;  'many 
and  many  of  my  works  would  I  suppress  if  I  could.' 

Bearing  this  in  mind,  it  is  easy  to  appreciate  the  story 
of  his  biographer,  Schindler,  who  informs  us  that  in  the 
year  1816,  after  the  performance  of  the  Seventh  and  Eighth 
Symphonies,  a  proposal  was  made  to  Beethoven  by  a  resident* 
in  Vienna  to  write  two  Symphonies  in  the  style  of  his  first 
two.  No  wonder  that  the  suggestion  made  him  furious. 
Translate  the  story  into  a  literary  form,  and  imagine  Shake- 
speare being  asked,  after  he  had  produced  *  Othello '  and 
'Hamlet,'  to  write  a  play  in  the  style  of  the  'Two  Gentlemen 
of  Verona  '  or  '  Love's  Labour's  Lost,'  and  the  absurdity  of 
this  well-meaning  amateur  will  be  apparent  to  everyone. 

*  This  is  stated  by  Schindler  (ii.,  367)  to  have  been  General  Ham,  an 
Englishman.  The  fact  of  the  proposal  may  be  true,  but  I  have  ascertained,  by 
the  courtesy  of  the  authorities  at  the  War  Office,  the  Record  Office,  and  the 
Foreign  Office,  that  no  such  name  is  to  be  found  in  the  English  Army  Lists 
or  other  official  documents  of  that  day.  The  name  is  sometimes  given  &s 
Alexander  Kyd.     (HuefTer,  Italian  Sketches,  141.) 


44  SECOND   SYMPHONY. 

A  still  more  curious  instance  of  the  same  mistake  is  afforded 
by  a  writer  in  the  Musical  World  of  May  6,  1836  (p.  118),  a 
musician,  and  an  eminent  one  too,  who,  in  his  anxiety  to 
make  the  Ninth  Symphony  better  known,  seriously  proposes 
that  a  Symphony  of  ordinary  length  should  be  made  by  taking 
the  first  and  third  movements  of  No.  9  and  combining  them 
with  the  last  movement  of  No.  2  as  a  Finale !  Absurd  indeed ; 
but  we  may  be  thankful  that,  owing  to  the  lapse  of  time,  such 
a  mistake  is  not  possible  for  us.  On  its  first  performance  at 
Leipzig  the  work  evidently  caused  much  agitation.  It  was 
received  by  the  Zeitung  fur  die  ehgayite  *Welt  '  as  a  gross 
enormity,  an  immense  wounded  snake,  unwilling  to  die,  but 
writhing  in  its  last  agonies,  and  bleeding  to  death  (in  the 
Finale).'  Such,  however,  was  not  the  general  opinion, 
though  the  work  is  always  spoken  of  more  or  less  with 
hesitation,  and  as  not  so  safe  as  No.  1. 

In  France  it  had  to  be  considerably  reduced  before  it  could 
be  put  into  the  programme  of  the  Concerts  Spirituels  of  1821, 
and,  as  already  mentioned  (p.  36),  the  Allegretto  of  No.  7  was 
substituted  for  its  own  slow  movement.  The  Allegretto  was 
encored,  but  the  rest  of  the  work  proved  an  absolute  failure  1 

In  England  it  seems  to  have  formed  part  of  the  repertoire  of 
the  Philharmonic  from  its  foundation  in  1813,  though,  as  the 
Symphonies  were  not  at  that  time  particularised  on  the  pro- 
grammes by  their  keys,  it  is  impossible  to  be  quite  sure.  In 
1825  the  Harmonicoii,  with  a  ridiculous  tone  of  patronage,  says 
that  it  was  '  written  when  his  mind  was  rich  in  new  ideas,  and 
had  not  to  seek  novelty  in  the  regions  of  grotesque  melody 
and  harshly  combined  harmony'  (p.  111).  'The  Larghetto 
(encored)  speaks  a  language  infinitely  more  intelligible  than 
the  majority  of  vocal  compositions.'  Next  year,  however, 
the  critic  is  so  much  excited  by  the  music  as  to  wish  for  •  a 
repose  of  at  least  a  full  half-hour '  after  it  (1826,  p.  129). 


•  See  Reprint  in  the  AUg.  mus.  Zeitung,  July  23,  1828,  p.  488, 


Beethoven's  *  testament.*  45 

The  key  of  D  major  was  employed  by  Beethoven  for  some 
of  his  finest  works  :  amongst  them  the  Missa  Solennis ;  the 
Viohn  Concerto ;  the  Trio  for  pianoforte,  violin,  and  cello, 
Op.  70,  No.  1 ;  a  Quartet,  No.  3  of  the  first  set  of  six  (Op.  18) ; 
two  remarkable  Pianoforte  Sonatas,  Op.  10,  No.  3,  and 
Op.  28,  usually,  though  inaccurately,  callal  *  Sonata  Pas- 
torale ' ;  and  also  the  noble  Andante  Cantabile  of  the  great 
Trio  in  B  flat.  Op.  97. 

'TESTAMENT.'* 

The  following  is  the  document  mentioned  on  page  19 
above.     The  italics  are  Beethoven's  own. 

For  my  Brothers  Carl  and!  Beethoven. 

0  you  my  fellow-men,  who  take  me  or  denounce  me  for 
morose,  crabbed,  or  misanthropical,  how  you  do  me  wrong  I 
you  know  not  the  secret  cause  of  what  seems  thus  to  you. 
My  heart  and  my  disposition  were  from  childhood  up  inclined 
to  the  tender  feeling  of  goodwill,  I  was  always  minded  to 
perform  even  great  actions ;  but  only  consider  that  for  six 
years  past  I  have  fallen  into  an  incurable  condition,  aggra- 
vated by  senseless  physicians,  year  after  year  deceived  in  the 
hope  of  recovery,  and  in  the  end  compelled  to  contemplate  a  last- 
ing malady,  the  cure  of  which  may  take  years  or  even  prove 
impossible.  Born  with  a  fiery  lively  temperament,  inclined 
even  for  the  amusements  of  society,  I  was  early  forced  to 
isolate  myself,  to  lead  a  solitary  life.  If  now  and  again  I  tried 
for  once  to  give  the  go-by  to  all  this,  0  how  rudely  was  I 

*  I  am  indebted  to  my  friend,  the  late  Mr.  E.  W.  MacLeod  FuUarton,  Q.C., 
for  his  help  in  the  translation  of  this  remarkable  document.  The  original 
is  given  by  Mr.  Thayer  in  his  Biography,  ii.,  193, 

t  I  have  seen  no  explanation  of  the  singular  fact  that  Beethoven  has  left  out 
the  name  of  his  brother  Johann  both  here  and  farther  down  in  the  letter. 
The  change  from  'you'  to  'thou'  in  the  P.S.  would  seem  to  indicate  that  Bee- 
thoven is  there  addressing  a  single  person.  The  original  document,  given  to 
Madame  Lind-Goldschmidt  and  her  husband  by  Ernst,  and  presented  by  Mr. 
Goldschmidt  after  her  death  to  the  city  of  Hamburg,  was  in  London  before  ':i 
left  this  country,  and  a  photograph  of  it  is  in  possession  of  the  writer,  it 
covers  three  pages  of  a  large  folio  sheet. 


46  SECOND   SYMPHONY. 

repulsed  by  tliG  redoubled  mournful  experience  of  my  defec- 
tive hearing  ;  but  not  yet  could  I  bring  myself  to  say  to  people 
*  Speak  louder,  shout,  for  I  am  deaf.'  0  how  should  I  then 
bring  myself  to  admit  the  weakness  of  a  seme  which  ought  to 
be  more  perfect  in  me  than  in  others,  a  sense  which  I  once 
possessed  in  the  greatest  perfection,  a  perfection  such  as  few 
assuredly  of  my  profession  have  yet  possessed  it  in — 0  I 
cannot  do  it !  forgive  me  then,  if  you  see  me  shrink  away 
when  I  would  fain  mingle  among  you.  Double  pain  does 
my  misfortune  give  me,  in  making  me  misunderstood. 
Recreation  in  human  society,  the  more  delicate  passages  of 
conversation,  confidential  outpourings,  none  of  these  are  for 
me ;  all  alone,  almost  only  so  much  as  the  sheerest  necessity 
demands  can  I  bring  myself  to  venture  into  society  ;  I  must 
live  like  an  exile  ;  if  I  venture  into  company  a  burning  dread 
falls  on  me,  the  dreadful  risk  of  letting  my  condition  be 
perceived.  So  it  was  these  last  six  mouths  which  I  passed  in 
the  country,  being  ordered  by  my  sensible  physician  to  spare 
my  hearing  as  much  as  possible.  He  fell  in  with  what  has  now 
become  almost  my  natural  disposition,  though  sometimes, 
carried  away  by  the  craving  for  society,  I  let  myself  be  misled 
into  it ;  but  what  humiliation  when  someone  stood  by  me 
and  heard  a  flute  in  the  distance,  and  /heard  nothing,  or  when 
someone  heard  the  herd-hoy  singing y  and  I  again  heard  nothing. 
Such  occurrences  brought  me  nigh  to  despair,  a  little  more 
and  I  had  put  an  end  to  my  own  life — only  it,  my  art, 
held  me  back.  0  it  seemed  to  me  impossible  to  quit  the 
world  until  I  had  produced  all  I  felt  it  in  me  to  produce; 
and  so  I  reprieved  this  wretched  life — truly  wretched,  a 
body  so  sensitive  that  a  change  of  any  rapidity  may  alter 
my  state  from  very  good  to  very  bad.  Patience — that's  the 
word,  she  it  is  I  must  take  for  my  guide ;  I  have  done 
so — lasting  I  hope  shall  be  my  resolve  to  endure,  till  it 
please  the  inexorable  Parcae  to  sever  the  thread.  It  may  be 
things  will  go  better,  may  be  not ;  I  am  prepared — already 


TESTAMENT.  47 

in  my  twenty-eighth*  year  forced — to  turn  philosopher :  it  is  not 
easy,  for  an  artist  harder  than  for  anyone.  0  God,  Thou  seest 
into  my  inward  part,  Thou  art  acquainted  with  it.  Thou 
knowest  that  love  to  man  and  the  inclination  to  beneficence 
dwell  therein.  0  my  fellow-men,  when  hereafter  you  read 
this,  think  that  you  have  done  me  wrong ;  and  the  unfortunate, 
let  him  console  himself  by  finding  a  companion  in  misfortune, 
who,  despite  all  natural  obstacles,  has  yet  done  everything  in 
his  power  to  take  rank  amongst  good  artists  and  good  men. — 
You,  my  brothers  Carl  and  ,  as  soon  as  I  am  dead, 

if  Professor  Schmidt  is  still  alive,  beg  him  in  my  name  to 
describe  my  illness,  and  append  this  present  document  to  his 
account  in  order  that  the  world  may  at  least  as  far  as 
possible  be  reconciled  with  me  after  my  death. — At  the 
same  time  I  appoint  you  both  heirs  to  my  little  fortune 
(if  so  it  may  be  styled) ;  divide  it  fairly,  and  agree  and  help 
one  another;  what  you  have  done  against  me  has  been, 
you  well  know,  long  since  forgiven.  You,  brother  Carl,  I 
especially  thank  for  the  attachment  you  have  shown  me  in 
this  latter  time.  My  wish  is  that  you  may  have  a  better  life 
with  fewer  cares  than  I  have  had ;  exhort  your  children  to 
virtue,  that  alone  can  give  happiness — not  money,  I  speak 
from  experience ;  that  it  was  which  upheld  me  even  in  misery, 
to  that  and  to  my  art  my  thanks  are  due,  that  I  did  not  end 
my  life  by  suicide. — Farewell,  and  love  each  other.  I  send 
thanks  to  all  my  friends,  especially  Prince  Lichnowski  and 
Professor  Schmidt.  I  want  Prince  L.'s  instruments  to  remain 
in  the  safe  keeping  of  one  of  you,  but  don't  let  there  be  any 
strife  between  you  about  it ;  only  whenever  they  can  help  you 
to  something  more  useful,  sell  them  by  all  means.  How 
glad  am  I  if  even  under  the  sod  I  can  be  of  use  to  you — so 


*  Beethoven  was  born  on  Dec.  16,  1770,  and  was  therefore  at  this  date 
nearly  at  the  end  af  his  thirty-second  year.  It  was  one  of  his  little  weaknesses 
to  wish  to  be  taken  for  younger  than  he  was  ;  and  he  occasionally  spoke  of 
bimself  accordingly. 


48  SECOND    SYMPHONY. 

may  it  prove  1  With  joy  I  hasten  to  meet  death  face  to  face. 
If  ho  come  before  I  liave  had  opportunity  to  unfold  all  my 
artistic  capabilities,  he  will,  despite  my  hard  fate,  yet  come 
too  soon,  and  I  no  doubt  should  wish  liim  later ;  but  even 
then  I  am  content ;  does  he  not  free  me  from  a  state  of  cease- 
less suffering  ?  Come  when  thou  wilt,  I  shall  face  thee  with 
courage.  Farewell,  and  do  not  quite  forget  me  in  death,  I 
have  deserved  it  of  you,  who  in  my  life  had  often  thought  for 
you,  for  your  happiness  ;  may  it  be  yours  I 

LuDwiG  VAN  Beethoven. 
Heiligenstadt,*  /^     ~X 

Uh  October,  1802.  [    Sesu.     ] 

^  Heiligenstadt,*  10th  October,  1802.  So  I  take  leave 

S  of  tthee — sad  leave.     Yes,  the  beloved  hope  that  I 

"^  brought  here  with  me — at  least  in  some  degree  to  be 

S  cured — that  hope  must  now  altogether  desert  me. 

^  As  the  autumn  leaves  fall  withered,  so  this  hope  too 

m         ^  is  for  me  withered   up  ;  almost  as  I  came  here,  I 

^        "I  go  away.     Even  the  lofty  courage,  which  often  in 

g         S  the     lovely     summer     days    animated     me,     has 

"^        ^  vanished.    0  Providence,  let  for  once  a  pure  day  oj 

3  "g  "^^  joy  J    be    mine — so    long    already    is    true    joy's 


I 


TJ 


g    *^    g    inward  resonance   a   stranger   to   me.      0    when, 
^    ^  ^    0  when,  0    God,  can  I  in  the  temple  of  Nature 


o 


c3 


2    and  of  Humanity  feel  it  once  again.     Never  ?    No 
-2    — 0  that  were  too  cruel ! 

*  Spelt  Heiglnstadt  by  Beethoven,  in  both  places. 

t  Is  it  sure  that  this  P. S.  is  addressed  to  his  brothers?  MayitnotbetoCountesd 
Tlieresa  Brunswick,  to  whom  he  was  betrothed  in  1806,  or  some  other  lady? 

+  Dcr  Freude.  The  italics  are  his  own.  This  word  acquires  a  deeper  sig- 
nificance when  we  know  from  a  letter  of  the  time  that  Beethoven  was,  even 
at  that  early  date,  meditating  the  composition  of  Schiller's  ode  An  die  Freude, 
which  he  accomplished  in  the  Niuth  Symphony,  in  1823.  See  Fischenich'8 
letter  to  Charlotte  von  Schiller,  dated  Bonn,  Feb.  26,  1793,  and  quoted  by 
Thayer  in  his  Biography,  i..  237. 


SYMPHONY  No.  3  (eroica),  in  E  flat  (Op.  55). 

Dedicated  to  Prince  Lobkowitz. 

*SINFONIA  EROICA,  composta  per  festeggiare  il  sovvenire  di  un 
grand'  Uomo,  e  dedicata  A  Sua  Altezza  Serenissima  il  Principe  di 
Lobkowitz  da  Luigi  van  Beethoven,  Op.  55.     No.  III.  delle  Sinfonie.' 

Allegro  con  brio  (GO__J.).     (E  flat.) 

Marcia  funebre  :  Adagio  assai  (80_^  ).     (C  minor.) 

Scherzo  and  Trio:  Allegro  vivace  (116 d-)-     Alia  breve  (116 o). 

(E  flat.) 

Finale:  Allegro  molto  (76 ^),  interrupted  by  Poco  Andante,  con  es 

pressione  (108_^  ),  and  ending  Presto  (116^  ).     (E  flat.) 


Score. 


2  Drums. 

2  Trumpets. 

3  Horns. 
2  Flutes. 
2  Oboes. 


2  Clarinets. 

2  Bassoons. 

1st  and  2nd  Violins. 

Viola. 

Violoncello  e  Basso. 


Probably  the  first  appearance  of  tliree  horns  in  the  Orchestra. 
The  orchestral  parts  were  published  in  October,  1806,  Vienna,  Contor 
delle  arti  e  d'Industria.  The  score  is  an  8vo  of  231  pages,  uniform  with 
those  of  Nos.  1  and  2,  and  was  published  in  1820.  The  title-page  is  in 
Italian,  as  given  above.  .  .  .  •  Partizione.  Prix  18  Fr.  Bonna  e  Colonia 
presso  N.  Simrock.     1973.' 

A  special  interest  will  always  attach  to  the  Eroica  apart 
fi'om  its  own  merits,  in  the  fact  that  it  is  Beethoven's  first 
Symphony  on  the  '  new  road  '  which  he  announced  to 
Krumpholz  in  1802.  '  I  am  not  satisfied,'  said  he,  *  with 
my  works  up  to  the  present  time.  From  to-day  I  mean  to 
take  a  new  road.       This  was   after   the  completion    of  the 


60  THIRD    SYMPHONY — EROICA. 

Sonata  in  D  (Op.  28),  in  1801.*  Great  as  is  the  advance  in 
the  three  Piano  Sonatas  of  Op.  31,  especially  that  in  D  minor, 
and  in  the  three  Violin  Sonatas  of  Op.  80,  especially  that  in 
C  minor,  over  their  predecessors,  it  must  be  confessed  that  the 
leap  from  Symphony  No.  2  to  the  Eroica  is  still  greater. 
The  Symphonies  in  0  and  D,  with  all  their  breadth  and  spirit, 
belong  to  the  school  of  Mozart  and  Haydn.  True,  in  the 
Minuet  of  the  one  and  the  Coda  to  the  Finale  of  the  other, 
as  we  have  endeavoured  to  show,  there  are  distinct  invasions 
of  Beethoven's  individuality,  giving  glimpses  into  the  new 
world.  But  these  are  only  glimpses,  and  as  a  whole  the  two 
earlier  Symphonies  belong  to  ihe  old  order.  The  Eroica 
first  shows  us  the  methods  which  were  so  completely  to 
revolutionise  that  department  of  music — the  continuous  and 
organic  mode  of  connectirg  the  s2eond  subject  with  the  first, 
the  introduction  of  episodes  into  the  working-out,  the  extra- 
ordinary importance  of  the  Coda.  These  in  the  first 
movement.  In  the  second  there  is  the  title  of  'March,'  a 
distinct  innovation  on  previous  custom.  In  the  third  there  is  the 
title  of  *  Scherzo,'  here  used  in  the  f  Symphonies  for  the  first 
time,  and  also  there  are  the  breadth  and  proportions  of  the 
piece,  hitherto  the  smallest  of  the  four,  but  now  raised  to  a 
level  with  the  others;  and  in  the  Finale,  the  daring  and 
romance  which  pervade  the  movement  under  so  much  strict- 
ness of  form.  All  these  are  steps  in  Beethoven's  advance  of 
the  Symphony  ;  and,  as  the  earliest  example  of  these  things, 
the  Eroica  will  always  have  a  great  historical  claim  to 
distinction,  entirely  apart  from  the  nobility  and  beauty  of 
its  strains. 


*  See  Thayer,  ii.,  186,  364. 

t  The  first  actiial  use  of  the  term  by  Beethoven  is  in  the  third  movement  of 
the  Trio  in  E  flat.  Op.  1,  No.  1.  The  term  JNIiuuet  is  employed  for  the  Scherzos 
of  the  Symphonies  for  many  years  both  by  German  and  English  critics.  It  is 
strange  to  hear  the  Scherzo  of  this  very  Symphony  spoken  of  as  '  an  ill-suited 
Minuet '  (see  page  92). 


BERNADOTTE*S   SUGGESTION.  51 

Another  point  of  interest  in  the  Symphony  is  the  fact  that  it  is 
the  second  of  his  complete  instrumental  works*  which  Bee- 
thoven himself  allowed  to  be  published  with  a  title ;  the  former 
one  being  the  *  Sonate  pathetique, '  Op.  IB.  How  the  Symphony 
came  by  a  title,  and  especially  by  its  present  title,  is  a 
remarkable  story.  The  first  suggestion  seems  to  have  been 
made  to  Beethoven  by  General  Bernadottef  during  his  short 
residence  in  Vienna,  in  the  spring  of  1798,  as  ambassador 
from  the  French  nation.  The  suggestion  was  that  a 
Symphony  should  be  written  in  honour  of  Napoleon 
Bonaparte.  At  that  date  Napoleon  was  known  less  as  a 
soldier  than  as  a  public  man,  who  had  been  the  passionate 
champion    of    freedom,    the    saviour    of    his    country,   the 

*  The  list  of  Beethoven's  own  titles,  on  his  published  works,  is  as  follows : — 

1.  *  Sonate  path6tique,'  Op.  13. 

2.  *La  Malinconia.'     Adagio  in  String  Quartet  No.  6. 

3.  '  Marcia  funebre  sulla  morte  d'un  Eroe.'    Third  movement  of  Op.  26. 

4.  *  Sinfonia  eroica,  composta  per  festoggiare  il  sovvenire  di  un  grand' 
Uomo,'  &c.     Op.  55. 

5.  *  Sinfonia  pastorale,'  Op.  68. 

6.  'Les  Adieux,  I'Absence  et  le  Retour,  Sonate,'  Op.  81a. 

7.  *  Wellington's  Sieg,  oder  die  Schlacht  bei  Vittoria,'  Op.  91. 

8.  '  Gratulations  Menuett '  (Nov.,  1823). 

9.  '  Sinfonie  mit  Schluss-Clior  liber  Schiller's  Ode,  An  die  Freude,'  Op.  125. 

10.  '  Die  Wuth  liber  den  verlomen  Groschen,  ausgetobt  in  einer  Caprice,'  for 
Pianoforte  Solo.     Op.  129. 

11.  *  Canzona  di  ringi'aziamento  in  modo  lidico,  offerta  alia  diviniti  da  un 
guarito,'  and  '  Senteudo  nuova  forza.'  Molto  Adagio  and  Andante  in  String 
Quartet,  Op.  132. 

12.  '  Der  schwergefasste  Entschluss.  Muss  es  seiu  ?  Es  muss  sein  I '  Finale 
to  String  Quartet,  Op.  135. 

13.  '  Lustig.  Traurig.  Zwei  kleine  Klavierstticke.*  Supplemental  vol.  to 
B.  &  H.'s  great  edition,  p.  360. 

'  Moonlight,'  Op.  27,  No.  2  ;  '  Pastorale,'  Op.  28  ;  '  Appassionata,'  Op.  57  ; 
'Emperor/  Op.  73 — and  if  there  be  any  others — are  all  fabrications. 

t  Schindler,  Ed.  3,  i.,  101.  A  soldier  like  Bernadotte  was  not  likely  to  know 
or  care  about  music  ;  and  it  is  therefore  not  improbable  that  the  idea  was  due 
to  Rudolph  Kreutzer,  the  violin  player,  who  filled  the  office  of  Secretary  to  the 
Legation.  In  this  case  the  'Kreutzer  Sonata'  (Op.  47),  composed  1802-3, 
acquires  a  certain  relationship  to  the  Symphony,  which  is  not  invalidated  by 
the  fact  (if  it  be  a  fact)  that  Kreutzer  never  played  the  great  work  dedicated 
to  him.     Beruadotte  arrived  in  Vienna  Feb.  8  and  quitted  it  April  15,  1798- 


52  THIRD   SYMPHONY — EROICA. 

restorer  of  order  and  prosperity,  the  great  leader  to  whom 
no  difficulties  were  obstacles.  He  was  not  then  the 
tyrant,  and  the  scourge  of  Austria  and  the  rest  of  Europe, 
which  he  afterwards  became.  He  was  the  symbol  and  embodi- 
ment of  the  new  world  of  freedom  and  hope  which  the  Revolu- 
tion had  held  forth  to  mankind.  Moreover,  no  De  Remus  at 
or  Chaptal  had  then  revealed  the  unutterable  selfishness 
and  meanness  of  his  character.  Beethoven  always  had 
republican  sympathies,  and  it  is  easy  to  understand  that  the 
proposal  would  be  grateful  to  him.  "We  cannot  suppose  that 
a  man  of  Beethoven's  intellect  and  susceptibility  could  grow 
up  with  the  French  Revolution,  and  in  such  close  proximity 
to  France  as  Bonn  was,  without  being  influenced  by  it.  Much 
of  the  fire  and  independence  of  the  first  two  Symphonies  are 
to  be  traced  to  that  source.  The  feeling  was  in  the  air. 
Much  also  which  distinguishes  his  course  after  he  became  a 
resident  in  the  Austrian  capital,  and  was  so  unlike  the 
conduct  of  other  musicians  of  the  day — the  general  inde- 
pendence of  his  attitude ;  the  manner  in  which  he  asserted 
his  right  to  what  his  predecessors  had  taken  as  favours ;  his 
refusal  to  enter  the  service  of  any  of  the  Austrian  nobility  ;  his 
neglect  of  etiquette  and  personal  rudeness  to  his  superiors  in 
rank — all  these  things  were  doubtless  more  or  less  due  to  the 
influence  of  the  Revolutionary  ideas.  But  he  had  not  yet  openly 
acknowledged  this  in  his  music.  Prometheus  was  a  not  unsuit- 
able hero  for  a  work  that  may  have  been  full  of  revolutionary 
ideas,  though  invisible  through  the  veil  of  the  ballet. 
Perhaps  the  melody  which  he  employed  in  this  Finale^ 
and  elsewhere  twice  outside  his  ballet,  may  have  had  to 
him  some  specially  radical  signification.  At  any  rate,  his 
first  overt  expression  of  sympathy  with  the  new  order  of 
things  was  in  the  *  Eroica.'  And  a  truly  dignified  expression  it 
was.  We  shall  have  an  opportunity,  in  considering  the  Ninth 
Symphony,  of  noticing  how  carefully  he  avoids  the  bad  taste  of 
Schiller's  wild  escapades.   Here  we  only  notice  the  fact  that  the 


BONAPARTE — BEETHOVEN. 


53 


Eroica '  was  his  first  obviously  revolutionary  music.  He  was, 
however,  in  no*  hurry  with  the  work,  and  it  seems  not  to  have 
been  till  the  summer  of  1803  that  he  began  the  actual  com- 
position at  Baden  and  Ober-Dobling,  where  he  spent  his  holiday 
that  year.  On  his  return  to  his  lodgings  in  the  theatre  '  an-der- 
Wien  '  for  the  winter,  we  hear  of  his  having  played  the  Finale 
of  the  Symphony  to  a  friend.f  Ries,  in  his  Biogra-plmche 
Notizen,  distinctly  says  that  early  in  the  spring  of  1804  a  fair 
copy  of  the  score  was  made,  and  lay  on  Beethoven's  work- 
table  in  full  view,  with  the  outside  page  containing  the  words 
— at  the  very  top,  *  Buonaparte,'  and  at  the  very  bottom, 
•  Luigi  van  Beethoven,'  thus  : — 


BUONAPAHTB 


Luigi  van  Beethoven 


How  the  space  between  the  two  illustrious  names  was  to  be 
filled  in  no  one  knew,  and  probably  no  one  dared  to  ask. 
Another  copy  it  would  appear  had  gone  to  the  Embassy  for 
transmission  to  the  First  Consul. J 

Meantime,  however,  a  change  was  taking  place  in  Napoleon, 
of  which  Beethoven  knew  nothing.     On  May  2nd,  1804,  a 


*  The  earliest  sketches  contained  in  the  book  published  by  Mr,  Nottebohm 
(Ein  Skizzenbuch  von  Beethoven,  &c.,  Breitkopf  und  Hartel,  ISSO)  date  froic 
\802.    An  earlier  book  may,  of  course,  be  discovered. 

f  Mahler  the  painter.     (Thayer,  11.,  236.) 

X  Schindler,  3rd  Ed.,  i.,  107. 


54  THIRD   SYMPHONY — EROICA. 

motion  was  passed  in  the  Senate,  asking  him  to  take  the  title 
of  Emperor,  and  on  May  18th  the  title  was  assumed  by  him. 
When  the  news  reached  Vienna  it  was  taken  to  Beethoven  by 
Ries,*  -and  a  tremendous  explosion  was  the  consequence 
*  After  all,  then,  he  is  nothing  but  an  ordinary  mortal  t 
He  will  trample  all  the  rights  of  men  under  foot,  to 
indulge  his  ambition,  and  become  a  greater  tyrant  than  any 
one  1 '  And  with  these  words  he  seized  his  music,  tore  the 
title-page  in  half,  and  threw  it  on  the  ground.  After  this 
his  admiration  was  turned  into  hatred,  and  he  is  said  never 
again  to  have  referred  to  the  connection  between  his  work  and 
the  Emperor  till  seventeen  years  afterwards,  when  the  news 
of  Napoleon's  death  at  St.  Helena  (May  5,  1821)  reached 
him.  He  then  said :  '  I  have  already  composed  the  proper 
music  for  that  catastrophe,'  meaning  the  Funeral  March, 
which  forms  the  second  movement  of  the  work — if  indeed 
he  did  not  mean  the  whole  Symphony.  In  this  light,  how 
touching  is  the  term  sovvenire  in  the  title  !  The  great  man, 
though  emperor,  is  already  dead,  and  the  remembrance  of  his 
greatness  alone  survives ! 

The  copy  of  the  Eroica  which  is  preserved  in  the 
Library  of  the  *  Gesellschaft  der  Musikfreunde  '  in  Vienna  is 
not  an  autograph,  though  it  contains  many  notes  and  remarks 
in  Beethoven's  ownf  hand ;  and  it  is  not  at  all  J  impossible  that 
it  may  be  the  identical  copy  from  which  the  title-page  was 


♦  Biog.  Notizen,  2te  Abth.,  p.  78. 

t  One  of  these  is  to  erase  the  repeat  of  the  first  portion  of  the  opening  move- 
ment. This  has  been  taken  as  evidence  that  at  that  timehethought  such  repetition 
unnecessary.  But  nothing  can  be  inferred  from  it  until  we  know  the  circum- 
stances under  which  he  made  the  erasure.  Beethoven  must  have  been  sometimes 
very  hard  pressed  in  shortening  his  works  for  performance.  Otto  Jahn  tells 
us  of  a  copy  of  the  'Leonora  No.  2'  Overture,  in  which  he  had  been  compelled 
actually  to  cross  out  the  first  trumpet  passage,  and  the  eight  bars  connecting 
it  with  the  second  ! 

t  Mr.  Thayer  thinks  it  impossible  (Them.  Verzeichniss,  p.  58). 


A   PORTRAIT    OF   NAPOLEON.  55 

torn  off.     It  is  an  oblong  volume,  12f  inches  by  9^,  and  has 
now  the  following  title-page — 


SiNFONIA   GRANDE 
INTITTJLATA   BoNAPARTB 

804  iM  August 

DEL  SiGR. 

Louis  van  Beethovem 

geschrieben 

AUF  Bonaparte 


Sinfonia  3  Op.  55 


The  original  title  would  seem  to  have  consisted  of  lines  1, 
3,  4,  5,  8 ;  lines  2,  6,  7  (all  three  in  pencil)  having  been  after- 
wards added,  6  and  7  certainly,  2  possibly,  by  Beethoven 
himself.  Line  2  is  now  barely  legible.  The  copy  appears  thus 
in  the  catalogue  of  the  sale  of  Beethoven's  effects :  *  No.  144. 
Fremde  Abschrift  der  Sinfonie  Eroique  in  Partitur  mit 
eigenhandigen  Anmerkungen.'  It  is  valued  at  3  florins, 
and  it  fetched  3  fl.  10  kr.  ;  which,  at  the  then  currency,  was 
worth  about  3  francs.  The  copy  then  came  into  the  possession 
of  Joseph  Dessauer,  the  composer,  of  Vienna,  and  is  now  in 
the  Library  of  the  *  Gesellschaft  der  Musikfreunde.' 

The  title  just  given  is  obviously  an  intermediate  one 
between  Beethoven's  original  and  that  prefixed  to  the  edition 
of  the  Parts  published  in  October,  1806,  and  to  Simrock's 
edition  of  the  Score,  No.  1,973,  published  1820. 

But  there  is  no  reason  to  suppose  that  beyond  the  title- 
page  the  work  was  altered.  It  is  still  a  portrait — and 
we  may  believe  a  favourable  portrait — of  Napoleon,  and 
should  be  listened  to  in  that  sense.  Not  as  a  conqueror 
— that  would  not  attract  Beethoven's  admiration ;  but 
for  the  general  grandeur  and  loftiness  of  his  course  and  of 
his    public   character.      How  far   the  portraiture    extends, 


66  THIRD    SYMPHONY — EROICA. 

whether  to  the  first  movement  only  or  through  the 
entire  work,  there  will  probably  be  always  a  difference  of 
opinion.  The  first  movement  is  certain.  The  March  is 
certain  also,  from  Beethoven's  own  remark  just  quoted  ;  and 
the  writer  believes,  after  the  best  consideration  he  can  give 
to  the  subject,  that  the  other  movements  are  also  included 
in  the  picture,  and  that  the  Poco  Andante  at  the  end  repre- 
sents the  apotheosis  of  the  hero.  But,  in  addition  to  any 
arguments  based  on  consideration,  there  can  be  no  doubt 
that  it  was  the  whole  work,  not  any  separate  portion 
of  it,  that  Beethoven  twice  inscribed  with  Bonaparte's 
name.*  It  has  been  well  said  that,  though  the  Eroica 
was  a  portrait  of  Bonaparte,  it  is  as  much  a  portrait  of 
Beethoven  himself.  But  that  is  the  case  with  everything 
that  he  wrote. 

Certain  accessories  to  the  music  seem  to  testify  to  some 
anxiety  on  Beethoven's  part  in  regard  to  his  new  work.  The 
long  title  and  the  two  prefatory  notices,  without  a  parallel 
in  his  works  for  their  length,  all  seem  to  have  a  significance. 
The  title  is  given  at  the  head  of  these  remarks.  The  notices, 
affixed  to  the  first  editions  of  both  parts  and  score,  are  as 
follows — he  was  quite  aware  of  the  unusual  length  of  his  work : 
1.  Questa  Sinfonia  essendo  scritta  apposta  piu  lunga  delle  solite, 
sideve  eseguire  piu  vicino  al  principio  ch'  al  fine  di  un  Academia, 
e  poco  doppo  un  Overtura,  un'  Aria,  ed  un  Concerto ;  accioche, 
sentita  troppo  tardi,  non  perda  per  1'  auditore,  gia  faticato 
dalle  precedent!  produzioni,  il  suo  proprio,  proposto  effetto. 


*  To  the  fact  of  the  entire  Symphony  being  a  portrait  of  Bonaparte  there 
is  the  following  evidence : — 

1.  Beethoven's  first  inscription — 'Buonaparte Luigi  van  Beethoven,' 

2.  His  second  ditto—'  Geschrieben  auf  Bonaparte.' 

3.  The  statement  of  Ries. 

4.  The  fact  of  the  inscriptions  being  written  not  over  the  movements,  but 
oa  the  outside  cover  of  both  copies  of  the  complete  work. 


THE    ALLEGRO    CON    BRIO.  57 

(This  Symphony,  being  purposely  written  at  greater  *length 
than  usual,  should  be  played  nearer  the  beginning  than  the 
end  of  a  concert,  and  shortly  after  an  Overture,  an  Air,  and 
a  Concerto  ;  lest,  if  it  is  heard  too  late,  when  the  audience 
are  fatigued  by  the  previous  pieces,  it  should  lose  its  proper 
find  intended  effect.)  2.  A  f  notice  to  say  that  *  the  part  of 
the  third  horn  is  so  adjusted  that  it  may  be  played  equally 
on  the  first  or  second  horn.'  This  notice  points  to  the 
only  difference  between  the  orchestra  of  this  Symphony  and 
that  of  the  preceding  one — viz.,  the  third  horn.  A  third 
horn  does  not  seem  to  have  been  used  in  the  orchestra  till 
this  occasion.  There  are  no  trombones  in  any  of  the 
movements. 

With  these  introductory  remarks  we  pass  to  the  analysis  of 
the  work  itself. 

I.  The  first  subject  of  the  opening  Allegro  con  brio,  the 
animating  soul  of  the  whole  movement,  is  ushered  in  by  two 
great  staccato  chords  of  E  flat  from  the  full  orchestra,  in 
which  all  the  force  of  the  entire  piece  seems  to  be  concen- 
trated : — 


No-l-       X___i        Ce"«^' 


AfJTTTT^m^^^ 


-'-  &0. 


Beethoven's  sketches^  show  that  these  chords  were  originally 


*Au  amusing  tribute  to  the  'length*  was  extorted  from  someone  in  the 
gallery  at  the  first  performance,  who  was  heard  by  Czeruy  to  say,  '  I'd  give  a 
kreutzer  if  it  would  stop.'    (Thayer,  ii.,  274.) 

t  The  GesellscJiaft  MS.  contains  a  note  at  the  end  of  the  first  movement, 
now  scratched  through,  to  the  following  efi"ect:  'N.B. — The  three  horns  are 
so  arranged  in  the  orchestra  that  the  first  horn  stands  in  the  middle  between 
the  two  others.' 

X  Nottebohm,  Ein  Skizzenbuch  von  Beethoven  aus  dern  Jahre  1803,  p.  6. 
Grove.— Beethoven's  Nine  Symphonies.— Novello's  Edition       ^ 


58 


THIRD    SYMPHONY — EROICA. 


discords,  as  is  the  case  in  the  First  Symphony.     They  first 
appear  as — 

No.  2. 


and  then  as — 


i 


^ 


^^g^^ 


They  then  disappear  altogether  and  the  two  tonic  chords  as 
they  now  stand  (No.  1)  probably  belong  to  a  late  period  in  the 
history  of  the  movement. 

The  main  theme  itself,  given  out  by  the  cellos  alone,  is  but 
four  bars  long ;  the  exquisite  completion  by  the  fiddles  (from 
a)  is  added  merely  for  the  occasion,  and  does  not  occur  again  ; 
for  even  at  the  repiise  of  the  subject  in  the  latter  half  of  the 
movement  this  part  is  essentially  altered  [see  No.  21) — 


No.  3. 


A  llegro  con  hrio. 


(a) 


fet 


P 


m 


m   m   fq^^ 


=t=:t 


p  cres 


^^ 


i:^r  I  I 


■*-^-r-^ff; 


«=t 


P 


UIUp 


How  broad  and  gay,  and  how  simply  beautiful  and  dignified  I 
All,  too,  virtually  in  the- notes  of  the  tonic  chord,  as  so  often 
is  the  case  !  Surely  no  one  ever  made  such  openings  as  the 
openings  to  these  Symphonies.  Well  might  Schumann*  say, 
alluding  to  Brahms,  '  He  should  be  always  thinking  of  the 
beginnings  of  Beethoven's  Symphonies,  and  try  to  make 
something  like  them.  The  beginning  is  the  great  thing  :  once 
begin,  and  the  end  comes  before  you  know  it.' 


*  Letters,  Neiie  Folge,  338. 


THE   ALLEGRO  CON  BRIO — >TINDRED  THEMES. 


59 


How  pregnant  are  these  great  themes  !  How  everlasting, 
not  only  in  the  never-ending  delight  which  the  hearing  of  then: 
gives,  but  in  the  long  chain  of  followers  to  which  they  give 
birth !  In  Beethoven's  Ninth  Symphony  we  shall  see  the 
influence  which  the  subject  of  the  Finale  had  on  Schubert, 
and  how  beautifully  he  modified  one  of  its  phrases  for  the 
expression  of  thoughts  and  feelings  all  his  own,  much  as 
Shakespeare  did  with  a  phrase  of  Marlowe.  And  as  with 
that  glorious  subject,  so  no  less  with  this.  The  first  theme 
of  the  Eroica  is  surely  the  parent  of  the  first  theme  of 
Brahms's  fine  Symphony  in  D — 


No.  4. 


Allegro  non  troppo. 


— and  (in  a  less  degree)  of  that  of  his  Violin  Concerto — 


No.  5.  Alio,  non  troppo. 


ii 


^,^F^^^rp^^^^te=g:p£r^^ 


§Ei 


3?-* 


The  same  splendid  rhythm  (also  in  the  intervals  of  the  tonic 
chord)  is  heard  in  the  Scherzo  of  Schubert's  great  Symphony 
inO— 


No.  6. 


^^3 


£^ 


2il 


&0. 


— and   Beethoven   himself  has   recurred  to  it  in  the  most 
*  heroic  '  of  his  Sonatas,  the  Op.  100 — 

No.  7. 


M 


5^Ff=r 


^^. 


^ 


An  unexpected  anticipation  of  the  phrase  is  fouiid  in  a  passage 


60 


THIRD    SYMrHONT — EROICA. 


of    tliG    Overture   to    '  Bastion    et   *Bastienne,' 
operetta  of  Mozart's,  written  at  Vienna  in  1768- 

Nn.8. 


a    youthful 


ii 


^^^^m 


^^ 


These  are  among  the  links  which  convey  the  great  Apostolic 
Succession  of  Composers  from  generation  to  generation. 
Handel  builds  on  a  phrase  of  Carissimi  or  Stradella,  and 
shapes  it  to  his  own  end — an  end  how  different  from  that  of  his 
predecessor!  Mozart  does  the  same  by  Handel;  Mendelssohn 
goes  back,  now  to  the  old  Church  melodies,  now  to  Bach,  and 
now  to  Beethoven.  Schumann  and  Wagner  adopt  passages 
from  Mendelssohn.  Beethoven  himself  is  not  free  from  the 
direct  influence  of  Haydn,  and  even  such  individual  creators 
as  Schubert  and  Brahms  bind  themselves  by  these  cords  of 
love  to  their  great  forerunner;  and  thus  is  forged,  age  by 
age,  the  golden  chain,  which  is  destined  never  to  end  as  long 
as  the  world  lasts. 

A  second  theme  of  much  greater  length  follows,  containing 
in  itself  two  sections.  The  first,  an  absolute  contrast  to 
No.  1,  flowing  spontaneously  out  of  the  preceding  music,  is 
simplicity  itself — a  succession  of  phrases  of  three  notes, 
repeated  by  the  different  instruments  one  after  another,  and 
accompanied  by  a  charming  staccato  bass,  its  first  group 
emphasised  by  dots,  the  second  by  dashes,  in  the  original  f 


score 

No.  9. 


^rf^.aj""' 


Fl. 


Viol. 


*  See  page  93. 

f  These  delicate  but  important  distinctions  are  lost  in  the  new  scoreft. 


THE   ALLEGRO  CON  BRIO — SECOND  SUBJECT. 


61 


Tlie    next    section    is    a    connecting    passage    of    lively 
character — 


couched  in  an  ordinary  figure.  The  *  second  subject '  proper 
arrives  unusually  late,  but  when  at  length  it  appears,  in 
the  key  of  B  flat,  it  is  a  passage  of  singular  beauty 
— more  harmony  than  melody,  and  yet  who  shall  say? 
— a  theme  which,  with  its  yearning,  beseeching  wind  in- 
struments, and  the  three  wonderful  pizzicato  notes  of  the 
basses,  goes  to  the  inmost  heart  hke  a  warm  pressure  of  the 
hand — 


No.  11. 


Strangely  little  use  is  made  of  this  beautiful  passage  in  the 
working-out.  In  fact,  touching  as  it  is,  it  only  re-appears  in 
its  place  in  the  due  course  of  the  reprise. 

After  the  second  subject  we  have  a  phrase  in  the  rhythm 
of  No.  1,  though  with  different  intervals  and  a  different 
accent — 


No.  12. 


8va  alto. 


^ 


r » 


r'^r^T 


8/ 


^-^1^-^  r  J I  1^ 


&0. 


^/ 


«/ 


And,  lastly,  nine  bars  of  discords   given  fortissimo  on    the 


62 


THIRD    SYMPHONY — EROICA. 


weak  beats  of  the  bar,  and  with  all  possible  noise  from  the 
brass — 


No.  13 


^      J.      ^ 

fr 

-f p-¥= 

sf            s}            sf 

sf  sf  sf  sf  sf   p 

There  we  have  the  chief  materials  of  the  first  half  of  the 
Allegro  !  But  the  way  they  are  expressed  and  connected  ;  the 
sunlight  and  cloud,  the  alternate  fury  and  tenderness,  the 
nobility,  the  beauty,  the  obstinacy,  the  human  character  1 
Certainly,  nothing  like  it  was  ever  done  in  music  before,  and 
very  little  like  it  has  been  done  in  the  ninety  years  since  1803. 
A  great  deal  of  the  inspiration  for  this  remarkable  fire  and 
variety  must,  as  has  already  been  said,  have  been  supplied  by 
the  unprecedented  circumstances  of  the  time.  A  far  calmer 
spirit*  than  Beethoven  has  said  of  the  same  period — 

Bliss  was  it  in  that  dawn  to  be  alive, 
But  to  be  young  was  very  Heaven  ! 

and  the  music  shows  how  those  exciting  circumstances  acte^ 
on  the  impressionable  mind  of  our  great  composer. 

Eight  bars  before  the  double  bar  we  have  a  prediction 
of  the  tremendous  Coda  which  closes  the  entire  movement. 
Then  comes  the  *  working-out,'  which  begins  the  second 
half  of  the  movement,  and  is  made  out  of  the  material 
already  quoted.  But  here  again  nothing  is  the  same.  The 
fragments  of  the  first  theme  (No.  3),  which  occupy  the  first 

*  Wordswortli,  Tlie  Prelude,  Book  xi. 


THE  ALLEGRO  CON  BRIO — WORKING-OUT. 


63 


twelve  bars  of  this  portion,  are  absolutely  transformed  in 
character.  The  subsidiary  theme  (No.  9)  is  altered  by  the 
addition  of  a  forcible  initial  note,  and  a  run  of  great  beauty — 

No.  14.  ^-N  TN 


sfp    U-   — ^  afp 

— the  freakish  passage  (No.  10)  is  harmonised  by  the  first 
subject,  escaping  from  the  tonic  chord  of  C#  minor  into  D 
minor  by  one  of  Beethoven's  astonishing  transitions — 

No.  15.  ^ ^  I 


^^S 


AMx^^^ 


^fe^ 


^^^^ 


e? 


^  Sf:  ^ 


<^i!i.  ikJ  ijitiJ  '-^U-\j\^'       r 


m 


Four  notes  of  No.  9  are  made  the  motive  of  a  passage  of 
imitation,  which  might  be  intended  to  show  how  well 
Beethoven  could  write  a  fugue — 


No.  16. 

± ^^ ^^ 

Viola  p       W..          ^    , 

V1.2'     '    cr    '      c 

^S^^t 

"^^rt.  3- ^"^' 

^i 


j^-^ 


&0. 


f     i 


sf       ^ 

if  we  did  not  soon  discover  that  he  is  in  no  humour  for  such 
displays.     Later  on  in  the  work  he  may  have  leisure  to  bring 


64  THIRD    SYMPHONY — EROTCA. 

big  counterpoint  into  play,  but  bere  bis  mood  is  too  impera- 
tive. His  tbougbt  is  everything  to  him,  the  vehicle  nothing. 
This  quaintly  promising  little  bit  of  counterpoint  is  crushed 
by  an  outburst  of  rage,  which  forms  the  kernel  of  the  whole 
movement,  and  in  which  the  most  irreconcilable  discords  of  the 
harmony  and  the  most  stubborn  disarrangements  of  the 
rhythm  unite  to  form  a  picture  of  obstinacy  and  fury,  a 
tornado  which  would  burst  the  breast  of  twny  but  the  gigantic 
hero  whom  Beethoven  believes  himself  to  be  pourtraying, 
and  wtio  was  certainly  more  himself  than  Bonaparte.*  This 
passage,  thirty-two  bars  long,  is  absolute  Beethoven ;  there 
is  nothing  like  it  in  the  old  music,  and  it  must  have  been 
impossible  for  critics,  who  looked  to  the  notes  alone  and 
judged  them  by  the  mere  rules  of  sound,  without  thinking  of 
the  meaning  they  conveyed,  ever  to  be  reconciled  to  it.  But 
the  tumult  suddenly  ceases,  as  if  from  exhaustion.  A  few 
crisp  bars  in  the  strings  lead  into  a  perfectly  new  and  fresh 
passage  in  the  remote  key  of  E  natural  minor,  in  which  the 
oboes,  fining  down  to  piano,  deliver  an  exquisite  melody, 
accompanied  by  one  almost  as  exquisite  in  the  cellos — 

No.  17.  


7^,J^E^J^^^i^.^,J^,^4^^^^^ 


l^'^W^^ 


This  is  what  is  technically  termed  an  episode  ;  that  is,  a 
melody  or  theme  which  has  not  been  heard  in  the  former 
section,  and  has,  therefore,  as  it  were,  no  right  to  appear  in 
the  section  devoted  to  the  discussion  of  the  previous  materials. 
With  Beethoven,  however,  everything  was  more  or  less  an 
open  question,  and  in  the  present  case  he  has  pleased  to  will 
otherwise. 

*  It  was  in  this  passage — which  defies  quotation — that  Beethoven,  conducting 
the  orchestra,  at  Christmas^,  1804,  got  out  in  his  beat,  and  so  completely 
conrused  the  players  that  they  had  to  stop  and  go  back. 


THE   ALLEGRO  CON  BRIO — EPISODES. 


65 


After  a  short  interval  the  melody  last  quoted  returns,  this 
time  in  E  flat  minor,  with  touching  imitations  between 
the  various  instruments — 


and  with  a  little  quaver  figure  in  the  eighth  bar,  which  might 
serve  to  remind  us,  if  we  could  ever  forget  it,  how  constantly 
Beethoven  is  on  the  watch  to  introduce  a  graceful  turn,  how- 
ever severe  his  mood  may  be.  He  knows  nothing  of  ugliness 
in  music,  even  to  express  ugly  thoughts. 

And  now  again  another  new  feature — a  wonderful  staccato 
bass  accompanied  by  the  original  theme  (No.  3),  stalking  over 
the  world  as  none  but  a  hero  can  stalk,  and  making  us  feel 
like  pigmies  as  we  listen  to  his  determined  and  elastic 
footfalls — 


No.  19. 


Clar. 


FL. 


e 


u 


r    III,,  .>iF-^-i    =i= 


Pag.'  — 


r  .^1^ 


m^h\ri^^m 


C?^      I 


T±: 


. 


sfp 


afp 


The  phrase  goes  through  the  successive  keys  of  E  flat  minor, 
D  flat  major,  and  E  flat  minor,  and  ends  with  a  fine  climax 
of  four  bars  in  the  trumpets  stad  drums. 


66 


THIRD   SYMPHONY — EROICA. 


We  are  now  near  the  end  of  the  working-out,  but  one  more 
surprise  awaits  us,  shortly  before  the  return  to  the  opening 
theme  of  the  work,  at  the  pLace  often  selected  for  a  passage 
of  pathos  or  sentiment.  This  is,  if  possible,  more  original 
than  anything  that  has  preceded  it,  and  is  certainly  quite 
different  from  anything  else.  So  unexpected  is  it  that  Ries,* 
standing  by  his  master's  side  at  the  first  rehearsal,  thought 
the  horn-player  had  come  in  wrong,  and  narrowly  escaped  a 
box  ou  the  ear  for  saying  so.  It  is  the  well-known  and  often- 
quoted  passage  in  which  the  horn  gives  out  the  first  four 
notes  of  the  chief  subject  in  the  chord  of  E  flat,  while  the  two 
vioUns  are  playing  B  flat  and  A  flat,  thus  accompanying  the 
chord  of  the  tonic  by  that  of  the  dominant — a  practice 
of  Beethoven's  which  M.  de  Lenz  has  dubbed  *  le  sourire 
de  la  Chirnere' — 


No.  20.  Violins 


i 


w 


s^5 


J-         -4* 


Eb^ 


ira 


^^ 


^ r-" 


^^. 


Horn 


^-^b- 


?z: 


At  that  time,  all  the  rules  of  harmony  were  f  against  it ;  it 
was  absolutely  wrong — as  wrong  as  stealing  or  lying — and  yet 


*  Biogr.  Notizen,  p.  79. 

fThis  passage  has  actually  been  altered  in  print  and  performance  to  make  it 
agreeable  to  the  then  so-called  rules  of  music.  Fetis  and  the  Italian  conductors 
used  to  take  it  as  if  the  notes  of  the  horn  were  written  in  the  tenor  clef, 
and  read  BtJ,  D,  B'j,  F  (chord  of  the  dominant).  Wagner  and  Costa  are 
said,  though  it  is  almost  incredible,  to  have  made  the  second  violins  play 
G  (chord  of  the  tonic).  In  the  English  edition— *  a  complete  collection  of 
Mozart  and  Beethoven's  Symphonies  in  score,'  dedicated  to  H.R.H.  the 
Prince  of  Wales,  and  therefore  published  before  January,  1820 — the  second 
violin  is  thus  altered  to  G.    If  Ries  '  narrowly  escaped  a  box  on  the  ear '  for 

suggesting  that  '  the  d d  horn-player  had  come  in  wrong,'  what  sort  of 

bJow  or  kick  would  Beethoven  have  justly  administered  f©r  such  flagrant 
corrections  of  his  plain  notes  (here  and  elsewhere)  % 


THE  ALLEGRO  CON  BRIO — THE  REPRISE. 


67 


how  perfectly  right  and  proper  it  is  in  its  place  !  And  how 
intensely  poetical !  The  '  heroic  '  movement  of  the  basses 
(No.  19)  has  ceased,  leaving  us  in  strangely  remote  regions  ; 
the  tumult  of  the  day  has  subsided,  and  all  is  gradually 
hushed  ;  the  low  horns  and  other  wind  instruments  add  to  the 
witching  feeling,  and  a  weird  twilight  seems  to  pervade 
the  scene.  At  length  the  other  instruments  cease  their 
mysterious  sounds,  and  nothing  is  heard  but  the*violins  in 
their  softest  tones,  trembling  as  if  in  sleep,  when  the  distant 
murmur  of  the  horn  floats  on  the  ear  like  an  incoherent 
fragment  of  a  dream.  It  is  one  of  those  departures  from  real 
life  which  never  trouble  us  in  our  sleep.  But  it  is  enough  to 
break  the  spell ;  the  whole  changes  as  if  by  a  magic  touch, 
and  the  general  crash  restores  us  to  full  daylight,  to  all 
our  faculties,  and  we  find  ourselves  at  home  in  the  original 
subject  and  original  key  (see  No.  3).  Here  Beethoven 
strangely  makes  the  music  modulate  so  as  to  close  not  in 
E  flat,  as  before,  but  most  unexpectedly  in  F,  with  a  shake, 
and  a  lovely  close  it  is — 


No.  21.  (skeleton) 


^(^' 

P' 

-r-^w- 

rt^^^-^i 



— 1 

H- j 

-^— V-f-H 

-h rr-n^ 

-I«? 

s/z=-^ 

__i _4 — J 

1 

— ^-^^-^ 

--<^ 

in: 

8/ 

"r— 

^=^ : 1 

pizz. 

~ 

and  this  enables  him  ko  give  the  horn  an  ample  and  delicious 
revenge  for   the  interruption  he  has  just  suffered.      (Note 


68 


THIRD   SYMPHONY — EROICA. 


the  expression  given  by  the  reiteration   of  the  note  C  in 

bar  5) — 


i<o.  22. 


Hern  in  F 


:S 


\   b^    [^ 


f^ 


g 


g^,^^ 
^^^-^-f^ 


and  also  the  easy  and  masterly  turn  by  which  the  strain 
go^^»from  F  to  D  flat.     The  transition  by  a  semitone  is  the 

me,  though  in  a  different  part  cf  the  key,  as  in  No.  8,  bar  8. 

After  this  we  have  a  recapitulation  of  the  first  section  of  the 
movement,  only  with  serious  differences  ;  and  then  comes  a 
Coda,  140  bars  long,  and  so  magnificently  fresh  and  original 
as  almost  to  throw  all  that  has  gone  before  it  into  the  shade. 
The  beginning  of  this  Coda  is  one  of  the  most  astonishing 
things  in  the  whole  musical  art ;  and  think  what  it  must 
have  been  in  the  year  1805,  when  even  now,  familiar  as  it  is, 
and  after  all  that  Beethoven  himself  has  written  since,  all 
that  Schubert,  Mendelssohn,  Schumann,  Wagner,  and 
Brahms,  it  still  excites  one's  astonishment  for  its  boldness 
and  its  poetry.  This  Coda  is  no  mere  termination  to  a  move- 
ment which  might  have  ended  as  well  without  it.  No  ;  it  ia 
an  essential  part  of  the  poem,  and  will  be  known  as  such.  It 
is  one  of  Beethoven's  great  inventions,  and  he  knows  it,  and 
starts  it  in  such  a  style  that  no  one  can  possibly  overlook 
what  he  is  doing.  He  has  given  a  hint  of  it  before  the 
double  bar;  now  he  develops  it  at  full  length.  As  in  hia 
G  major,  and  still  more  in  his  E  flat  Concerto  for  the 
piano,  he  begins  the  work  not  with  the  usual  long 
orchestral  passage,  just  as  a  Symphony  or  Overture  might 
begin,  but  with  a  passage  for  the  piano,  that  no  one  may 
mistake  the  nature  of  the  work  he  is  going  to  hear,  so 
here  he  treats  the  Coda  as  a  definite,  recognised,  important 


THE   ALLEGRO  CON  BRIO — THE  CODA. 


69 


section  of  the  movement,  and  announces  it  with  so  much 
weight  and  force  as  to  compel  attention  to  the  fact  that 
something  serious  and  unusual  is  going  on.  Here  is  a 
skeleton,  to  show  the  daring  style  of  the  progressions 
and  contrasts — from  E  flat  to  D  flat,  and  from  D  flat  to 
C  major.  Note  too  the  introductory  quavers,  where  he  retains 
the  three  crotchets  of  the  subject — 


No.  23.  ^. 

Allerjro.  \^.\         I 


Wind  &  Brass 


Wind,*  Brass 


dJhBra 


Violins  in  8ves. 
p  decres. 


PP 


And  this  again  is  followed  immediately  by  another  entirely 
new  device ;  the  old  subject  in  the  second  violins,  har- 
monised by  the  basses,  and  with  the  gayest  melody  running 
its  free  course  above,  in  the  first  vioHns — 


Another  new  passage,  in  tiie  freakish  figure  which  was 
employed  before  (see  Nos.  10  and  15),  equally  gay,  and  equally 


70 


THIRD    SYMPHONY — EROICA. 


grounded  on  the  original  subject,  this  time  in  the  horns,  is  as 
follows — 


No.  25. 


Viol.  1. 


&c. 


i^^S^^^iPPP 


Between  the  two  passages  last  quoted  is  a  cello  solo,  which 
might  have  given  Mendelssohn  the  cue  to  those  which  he  is 
so  fond  of  introducing  into  his  Symphonies — 

No.  26. 


1— "i^^ nr>V-^: 

^'^f^— 

f-g 

—    i^'^i^,;    K^ ^    S5     >»< 

-^-^ 

— -IP ■^-  4 

,bJ- 

^J 

U p  luiT ^ 

-#?=-^ 

^ 

One  might  go  on  commenting  on  this  Coda  for  an  hour, 
but  it  is  time  to  stop.  After  all  is  said,  the  music  itself,  as 
Schumann  is  so  fond  of  insisting,  is  the  best  and  only  thing  ; 
at  any  rate,  the  sole  end  of  these  remarks  is  to  make  that 
more  intelligently  heard  and  better  understood. 

II.  The  second  *movement,  very  slow,  Adagio  assai,  is  in 
the  form  of  a  funeral  march,  and  bears  the  title  of  Mar  da 


*  The  cello  and  double  bass  parts  are  to  a  great  extent  distinct  tliroughout 
this  March,  and  have  separate  lines  in  tlie  scor?. 


THE  FUNERAL  MARCH. 


71 


funehre — the  very  title  itself  an  important  *innovation  on 
established  practice.  And  a  March  it  is,  worthy  to  accompany 
the  obsequies  of  a  hero  of  the  noblest  mould,  such  a  one  as 
Napoleon  appeared  to  his  admirers  in  1803,  before  selfishness, 
lying,  cruelty,  and  just  retribution  had  dragged  him  down  from 
that  lofty  pinnacle.  The  key  of  the  March  is  C  minor.  It 
commences  sotto  voce  with  the  following  subject  in  the  strings — 

No.  27. 


sotto  voce. 


harmonised  in  a  wonderfully  efi'ective  way.  The  melody  is 
then  repeated  in  the  poignant  tones  of  the  oboe,  with  the 
rhythm  strongly  marked  by  the  horns  and  bassoons,  and  with 
an  accompaniment  in  the  strings  of  this  nature — 


Str.^l 


which  recurs  more  than  once,  and  forms  a  characteristic 
feature  of  the  movement.  This  is  succeeded  immediately  by 
a  second  theme — if  it  be  not  the  second  strain  of  No.  27 — a 
broad  melodious  subject,  beginning  in  E  flat  major — 

No.  29.  •  _ 


*  In  his  Piano  Sonata,  Op.  26  (1802),  the  slow  movement  is  entitled 
•Marcia  funebre  sulla  morte  d'un  Eroe,'  but  the  above  is  the  first  and  only 
infltauce  in  the  Symphonies. 


7^ 


THIRD    SYMPHONY — EROICA. 


promising  for  the  moment  consolation  and  hope,  but  quickly 
relapsing  into  the  former  tone  of  grief,  and  ending  in  a  phrase 
in  the  cpHos — 


No.  30. 


eapress.  decres. 

expressive  of  vague  uncertainty  and  walking  in  darkness. 
These  materials  are  employed  and  developed  at  length,  and 
with  the  richest  and  most  solemn  effect,  to  the  end  of  the  first 
portion.  The  poet  Coleridge  is  said  to  have  been  once  taken 
to  hear  this  Symphony  at  the  Philharmonic,  and  to  have 
remarked  to  his  friend  during  the  March  that  it  was  like  a 
funeral  procession  in  deep  purple  ;  and  the  description  is  not 
an  inadequate  one  of  the  first  portion,  before  the  grief  becomes 
more  personal  and  diffuse  ;  but  Coleridge  must  surely  have 
said  something  equally  appropriate  of  the  point  farther  on, 
where,  for  what  may  be  called  the  Trio  of  the  March,  the 
key  changes  from  C  minor  to  C  major,  and  a  heavenly  melody 
brings  comfort  and  hope  on  its  wings,  like  a  sudden  ray  of 
sunlight  in  a  dark  sky — 

No.  31.  ^ 

Oboe        ^  f 


8va. 


This  delicious  message  (which  Beethoven  resorted  to  again 
in  the  Scherzo  of  his  Symphony  in  A,  ten  years  later)  is  here 
divided  among  the  oboe,  flute,  and  bassoon  in  turns,  the 
strings  accompanying  with  livelier  movement  than  before. 
The  melody  hi*s  a  second  strain  (in  the  vioUns)  well  worthy 
to  be  a  pendant  tc  the  first — 


THE  FUNERAL  MARCH. 


73 


After  the  welcome  relief  of  this  beautiful  Intermezzo  the 
orchestra  returns  to  the  minor  key,  and  to  the  opening  strain 
of  the  March.  It  does  not,  however,  continue  as  it  began, 
either  in  melody  or  treatment,  but,  soon  closing  in  F  minor, 
goes  off  into  something  like  a  regular  fugue,  with  a  subsidiary 
subject  {a) — 


No.  33 


Viol.  2, 


T'  ^1  ^' 


— which  is  pursued  at  some  length,  the  full  orchestra  joining 
by  degrees  with  the  most  splendid  and  *religious  effect.  In 
this  noble  and  expressive  passage  of  fugal  music  we  might  be 
assisting  at  the  actual  funeral  of  the  hero,  with  all  that  is 
good  and  great  in  the  nation  looking  on  as  he  was  lowered 
into  his  tomb  ;  and  the  motto  might  well  be  Tennyson's 
words  on  Wellington — 

In  the  vast  cathedral  leave  him, 
God  accept  him,  Christ  receive  him. 

Then  occurs  a  passage  as  of  stout  resistance  and  determina- 
tion, the  trumpets  and  horns  appealing  against  Fate  in  their 
loudest  tones,  and  the  basses  adding  a  substratum  of  stern 
resolution.  But  it  cannot  last ;  the  old  grief  is  too  strong, 
the  original  wail  returns,  even  more  hopeless  than  before ; 


the  basses   again  walk  in  darkness, 


the  violins  and  flutes 


•  1  cannot  resist  the  impression  that  this  grand  passage  was  more  or  less 
the  origin  of  the  remarkable  Cathedral  scene  in  Schumann's  E  flat  Symphony. 

Grove.— Beethoven's  Nine  Symplioules.— Novello's  Edition.       tf 


74 


THIRD   SYMPHONY — EROICA, 


echo  their  vaguo   tones  so  as  to  aggravate  them  tenfold, 
and  the  whole  forms  a  long  and  terrible  picture  of  gloomy 

distress — 


No.  84. 

Fl.  &  Viol.  Sa  p- 


But  here  again  our  great  teacher  does  not  leave  us ;  even 
here  he  has  consolation  to  give  ;  though  in  a  different  strain 
than  before.  The  steady  march  of  the  strings  (at  the  beginning 
of  the  Coda,  repeated  from  the  tenth  bar  of  the  '  Maggiore,' 
No.  27)  seems  to  say  '  Be  strong,  and  hope  will  come ' ;  and 
hope  comes,  in  the  voice  of  the  first  violins,  if  ever  there  was 
a  speaking  phrase  in  which  to  convey  it — 


No.  35. 


strings  /  decres.  p 


This  was  the  passage  which  occurred  to  the  mind  of 
Moscheles  as  he  stood  by  the  death-bed  of  Mendelssohn, 
and  caught  the  last  pulsations*  of  the  breath  of  his  friend.  It 
is  the  beginning  of  the  Coda,  and  it  may  be  well  to  recollect 
as  the  movement  ebbs  away  that  we  are  really  listening  to 
the  music  written  by  Beethoven  in  anticipation  of  the  funeral 
of  Bonaparte. 

III.  For  the  Scherzo  we  return  to  the  key  of  E  flat; 
and  it  is  impossible  to  imagine  a  more  complete  relief  than 

•  Life  o/Mosdieles,  ii.,  186. 


THE  SCHERZO. 


76 


it  presents  to  the  March.  It  begins  Allegro  vivace,  sempre 
pianissimo  e  staccato,  and,  after  a  prelude  of  six  bars  in  the 
strings,  the  oboes  and  first  violins  join  in  this  most  fresh 
and  lively  tune — 


No.  36. 


This  has  been  supposed  by  Mr.  A.  B.  Marx  to  have  been 
adopted  from  a  soldier's  song — 


No.  37. 


p 


=1   I    !       s-i- 


itsizts: 


**     0 


Was    ich       bei    Tag    mrt  der    Lei  -  er  ver  -  dien',   das     geht     bei  der 


^=?=^^ 


&c.   in  infinitiim. 


r^ — jm 

Nacht    in  den  Wind,  Wind,  Wind,  Wind,  Wind. 


but  he  himself,  *later  in  his  book,  admits,  on  the  authority  of 
the  accurate  Erk,  that  it  dates  from  the  period  between  1810 
and  1826.  Indeed  the  song  is  more  probably  founded  on  the 
Scherzo  than  the  Scherzo  on  the  song. 

On  further  repetition  the  tune  is  continued  in  sparkling 
repartee  between  violiruand  flute  as  follows — 


No.  38. 


Viola >j         ,^   »,      ^,  '         ^,    ,        I.  ,^   ',      pi    '       ^, 

-^h   »       ■■ — \-r-  •     — irr^  — « » — -  -p       -  — m — 


^ 


"rTx 


rzn 


X.  B.  Marx,  Beethoven  (Ed.  1),  Vol.  I.,  273  ;  II.,  23. 


76 


THIRD    SYMPHONY — EROICA. 


and  at  length  a  charming  cUmax  is  made  by  a  loud  synco- 
pated passage  in  unison  for  the  whole  orchestra  (twice. given), 
in  which  the  accent  is  forced  on  to  the  weak  parts  of  tlie 
bar  (see  page  93) — 


~^  -J-     -it^ 


and  the  first  part  of  the  Scherzo  ends  with  a  Coda  containing 
delicious  alternations  of  the  strings  and  the  wind  and  a 
passage  of  unequalled  lightness  and  grace. 
-./The  Trio,  or  alternative  to  the  Scherzo j  is  mainly  in  the 
hands  of  the  horns,  the  other  instruments  being  chiefly 
occupied  in  interludes  between  the  strains  of  those  most 
interesting  and  most  human  members  of  the  orchestra.  And 
surely,  if  ever  horns  talked  like  flesh  and  blood,  and  in  their 
own  human  accents,  they  do  it  here.  Beginning  in  this 
playful  way — sportful,  though  hardly  in  allusion  to  'field 
sport,'  as  some  critics  have  supposed — 


No.  40. 

r— h- 

Ob.  &  Str. 

1?^ \ 

Cor.    sf^ ^ 

n^ri 

p 

—  r  frr — h^-P- - 

^K4^+— 1 — 

^—  U 

X-U-f:-.'-|-p- 

they  rise  by  degrees  in  seriousness  and  poetry  till  thoy  reach 


THE  TRIO — HORNS. 


77 


an   affecting  climax,   fully  in   keeping  with    tlie    '  heroic 
character  of  the  poem — 


No.  41. 


s 


^i^^ 


KF=F-=f^^ 


:^2 


:p=B: 


I   I-     I 


©F^ 


'=^ 


g^fg :  ^g^p 


r  r  Tstr.- 


-s:*- 


Strings  p  sf  =-  Cor. 


p/a 


^ 


^'^r'^r^^^-  '^^^ 


f^ 


What  is  it  makes  these  last  few  notes  so  touching,  so 
almost  awful  ?  There  .is  in  them  a  feeling  of  infinitude 
or  eternity  such  as  is  conveyed  by  no  other  passage  even 
in  Beethoven's  music.  To  the  writer  the  notes  speak  the 
lofty,  mystical,  yearning  tone  of  Wordsworth's  beautiful 
j-lines  : — 

Our  destiny,  our  being's  heart  and  home, 
Is  with  infinitude,  and  only  there  ; 
With  hope  it  is,  hope  that  can  never  die, 
Effort,  and  expectation,  and  desire, 
And  something  evermore  about  to  he. 


*  The  accurate  tying  of  these  minims  is  one  of  the  corrections  which  we  owe 
to  Breitkopf's  complete  Edition,  and  is,  so  far,  a  set-off  to  the  frequent  disregard 
of  Beethoven's  minute  directions  to  be  found  in  that  otherwise  splendid 
publication. 

t  From  the  Prelude,  Book  Sixth  ;  the  '  Crossing  of  the  Alps.'  Touching  lines 
and  too  little  known. — 'The  poet,'  says  Mr.  Carlyle,  'has  an  infinitude  in  him  ; 
communicates  an  Unendlichkeit,  a  certain  character  of  *  *  infinitude  "  to  whatsoever 
he  delineates.'  Heroes  and  Hero  Worship  (p.  129,  Ed.  2),  and  surely  this  is 
quite  as  true  of  the  composer  as  it  is  of  the  poet,  or  even  truer 


78  THIRD   SYMPHONY — EROIOA. 

And  yet  this  very  passage  is  selected  by  a  critic  of  the  time 
for  special  disdain  1 

After  the  Trio,  the  first  part  of  the  Scherzo  is  repeated, 
but  not  exactly  ;  it  is  considerably  reduced  at  the  beginning 
and  end,  and  an  excellent  effect  is  produced,  where  the 
previous  effect  seemed  hardly  to  admit  of  improvement,  by 
giving  the  second  of  the  two  syncopated  passages  already 
quoted  (No.  39)  in  duple  time,  instead  of  syncopated  triple 
time — 

No.  42.  8vea. 

Tutti       '         , 


i 


mri\)  JJLl 


Allahreve  »       4        ^ 

with  greatest  emphasis,  and  enforced  by  the  full  orchestra^ 
drums  and  all.  The  sound  of  this  dislocating  interruption 
might  be  described  as  Beethoven  himself  described  the  name 
of  Gneixendorf,  his  brother's  property.  *  It  sounds,'  he  says, 
*  like  the  breaking  of  an  axle-tree.' 

This  is  the  earliest  of  those  great  movements  which 
Beethoven  was  the  first  to  give  to  the  world,  which  are 
perhaps  the  most  Beethovenish  of  all  his  compositions,  and 
in  which  the  tragedy  and  comedy  of  life  are  so  startlingly 
combined.  A  symphony  without  a  Scherzo  would  now  be 
a  strange  spectacle.     As  Tennyson  says 

Most  can  raise  the  flowers  now, 
For  all  have  got  the  seed. 

But  before  Beethoven's  time,  indeed  before  this  particular 
Symphony,  the  Scherzo,  in  its  full  sense,  was  unknown  to 
music.  His  original  intentions  on  this  occasion  were,  as 
usual,  very  wide  of  the  result.  He  has  got  the  tune,  but  the 
manner  of  reaching  it  is  very  different  to  what  it  afterwards 
became.  In  the  first  sketch  discoverable,  he  heads  his  notes 
with  M.  for  mmuet,  and  starts  as  follows   (see  Nottebohm, 


THE  SCHERZO — SKETCHES. 


79 


Skizzenhuch  aus  1803,  p.  44 — the  signature  of  three  flats  must 
be  understood) — 


No.  43.  (Melody  only.) 

M.  Am  Ende  Coda  einefremde  St.  (?) 


Farther  on  still  more  progress  has  been  made — 


No.  44. 
M 


fjj:^j^p4^;^--^^-rt  rtfrn^r^S 


f-    i      i     -U-t=t=:^= 


At  length  the  ultimate  idea  for  the  commencement,  and  the 
pace  of  Presto  make  their  *appearance — 


and  then  the  rest  of  the  movement  soon  follows. 
The  original  tform  of  the  Trio,  however — • 


No.  46. 

Trio.    .^ 


m. 


^ 


(?) 


^es^. 


i^m 


&0. 


(the  signature  of  three  flats  must  still  be  understood) — is  very 
remarkable  in  its  strong  resemblance  to  the  principal  theme 


*  Nottebohm,  p.  46- 


t  Ibid. 


80  THIRD   SYMPHONY — EROICA. 

of  the  first  movement,  of  which  it  is  possibly  meant  to  bo 
a  repetition.  This,  however,  was  quickly  abandoned ;  three 
sketches  follow  which  show  no  likeness  to  the  present  Trio  ; 
but  in  the  fourth  an  approach  is  made  to  it,  and  then  the 
piece  advances  rapidly  to  its  ultimate  shape. 

IV.  The  Finale  has  often  been  a  puzzle.  Some  have 
thought  it  trivial,  some  laboured,  others  that  its  intention 
was  to  divert  the  audience  after  the  too  great  strain  of  the 
earlier  movements.  *  The  Sinfonia  Eroica  of  Beethoven,' 
says  the  best  English  musical  writer  of  his  day,  on  a  perfor- 
mance at  the  Philharmonic,  in  April,  1827,  *  most  properly 
ended  with  the  Funeral  March,  omitting  the  other  parts  (mean- 
ing the  Scherzo  and  Finale)  y  which  are  entirely  inconsistent 
with  the  avowed  design  of  the  composition.'  We  surely  might 
have  more  confidence  in  Beethoven's  genius,  and  in  the  result 
of  the  extraordinary  care  and  consideration  which  he  applied 
both  to  the  design  and  details  of  his  compositions !  No  one  who 
hears  the  Finale  through,  and  allows  it  to  produce  '  its  own 
proper  and  intended  *effect '  upon  him,  need  be  in  doubt  as  to 
its  meaning,  or  hesitate  to  recognise  in  it  characteristics  as 
•heroic'  as  those  of  any  other  portion  of  the  work,  though 
clothed  in  different  forms.  The  art  and  skill  employed 
throughout  it  are  extraordinary.  But  Beethoven  never  used 
these  powers  for  mere  display.  He  must  have  written 
it  because  he  had  something  to  say  about  his  hero  which 
he  had  not  said  in  the  other  three  movements.  Surely 
that  *  something '  becomes  gloriously  evident  in  the  ^oco 
^Andante  near  the  close,  which  forms  so  grand  a  cHmax  to  the 
work ;  and  to  which  the  pages  that  precede  it,  with  all  their 
ingenuity  and  beauty,  act  as  a  noble  introduction,  rising  step 
by  step  until  they  culminate  in  the  very  Apotheosis  of  the 
Hero. 

•  'II  suo  propria  e  proposto  effetto.^     Beethoven's  ovm  expression  in  hia 
preface  to  the  Symphony.    See  beginning  of  this  chapter  {j».  56,  last  line). 


THE   FINALE.      PROMETHEUS. 


81 


The  movement  consists  entirely  of  a  set  of  variations, 
thus  early  anticipating  so  far  the  method  adopted  in  the 
vocal  movements  of  Beethoven's  latest  Symphony,  '  The 
Ninth,'  twenty  years  later.  The  subject  chosen  is  an 
air  in  the  Finale  of  his  own  '  Prometheus  music,'  where  it 
stands,  as  far  as  melody,  bass,  and  key  are  concerned,  as 
follows — 


In  our  ignorance  of  the  libretto  of  the  Prometheus  music, 
it  is  impossible  to  say  whether  this  theme  was  not  there 
identified  with  that  ancient  •  hero,'  and  whether  that  fact,  or 
some  subtle  connection,  may  not  have  induced  Beethoven  to 
choose  it  for  the  Finale  to  his  Symphony  on  Bonaparte.  At 
any  rate,  the  theme  must  have  been  a  special  favourite 
with  its  composer,  since  he  has  used  it  four  times — in  a 
Contretanz,  in  the  Prometheus  music,  as  the  theme  of  a 
noble  set  of  Variations  for  piano  (Op.  85),  and  here  in  the 
Symphony. 

The  method  which  Beethoven  has  adopted  in  the  treatment 
of  this  air  as  the  theme  of  the  Finale  is  very  ingenious, 
and,  as  far  as  I  am  aware  (though  the  Variation  literature  is 
of  such  enormous  extent  that  it  is  impossible  to  be  sure), 
entirely  original.  After  a  short  introductory  passage  of  eleven 
bars  to  fix  the  key,  ending  with  a  pause  on  the  dominant 


82 


THIRD   SYMPHONY — EROICA. 


Beventh  of  E  flat,  the  strings,  in  octaves  and  pizzicato,  give 
out  the  bass  of  the  melody.  (In  the  Piano  Variations,  Op.  35, 
this  is  labelled  *  Con  basso  del  Tema ' ;  but  here  there 
is  no  such  indication.)  The  first  eight  bars  of  this  are 
repeated  to  allow  Beethoven  to  display  his  humour  by 
making  the  wind  echo  the  notes  of  the  strings,  at  short 
distances — 


No.  48.  Flute 
Clar. 


I 


J^ 


-M 


i^biW 


^ 


Viol.'  pizz 
Fag 


^r. 


^^ 


|Nl.>     ■<    1,1- 


&0. 


-&^ 


5-:i-K 


^^m 


-U4 


Hf-i^ 


bitzt 


S^ 


^-i  U-i  '^^ 


In  Variation  1  this  theme  (in  minims  instead  of  staccato 
quavers)  is  given  to  the  second  violin,  while  the  first 
violin  and  the  bass  have   an  independent   accompaniment, 

thus — 


No.  49. 


Viol.  1.  arco 


In  Variation  2  the  first  violin  has  the  same  theme,  with  a 
triplet  accompaniment  in  the  other  strings.  In  the  third 
Variation,  the  melody  itself  (all  the  more  welcome  for  its 
contrast  with  the  somewhat  formal  bass  theme)  enters  in  the 
oboes  and  clarinet,  harmonised  with  its  natural  bass,  and  with 
a  brilliant  semiquaver  accompaniment  in  the  first  violin, 
which  last  in  its  turn  takes  up  the  melody  with  the  con- 
currence of  the  whole  orchestra.  The  next  feature  is  a  serious 
fugato  (a  form  beloved  of  Beethoven,  and  already  used  most 


THE   FINALE — SECOND    SUBJECT. 


83 


happily  in   movements  1  and  2  of  thia   Symx^hony),   com- 
mencing in  0  minor  as  follows — 


No.  a),  strings 

^.         A 


Clar.  Fag._gya. 


CeUotXT  iTjj 


r 


&c. 


This  is  prolonged  to  great  length,  contains  a  sequence  with 
some  remarkable  discords,  and  ends  with  a  very  effective  and 
ingenious  introduction  of  the  melody ;  in  which  an  accidental 
F  sharp  is  made  to  lead  directly  into  a  new  key — 


No.  51. 


,F1.  8va. 


irZa^i£rjJpi.^^' 


>a     J 


Strings  p 


f^h^^-^^^ 


l^E 


i 


K 


-pxzz. 


.With  this  the  flute  takes  up  the  running,  and  concludes  with 
a  passage  of  semiquaver  arpeggios  and  scales.  This  leads  to 
a  new  theme,  a  regular  '  second  subject '  for  the  movement 
(though  in  G  minor  instead  of  B  flat,  as  might  be  expected), 
led   up   to  by   a  wild  rush   in    the  flutes,  oboes,  &c.,  and 


84 


THIRD    SYMPHONY — ErtOTCA. 


harmonisecl  emphatically  by  tlio  bass  of  tbc  original  melody 
in  minims  (see  No.  49) — • 


No.  52. 


^^^S^ 


-I 1- 


The  second  strain  of  the  new  theme  is  of  the  same  rough 
character  as  the  first,  and  has  the  same  bass  for  four  bars — 


No.  63. 

t 

'  ,»-i; 

'    '  '   f    .  t 

fy>V^ 

^tT 

^^^ 

s^?^ 

^-^—^ 

^  1    '-s-j^i  J  1  i^-jv- 

'k 

sf 

p^ 

^^ 

sf 

sf 

-ft- Fs— ^=^ 

w^.^' 

— LI 

t 

— pT-     i-i'^ — p — ^^— 

It  is  somewhat  prolonged,  and  the  whole  second  subject  might 
be  the  dance  of  a  band  of  Scythian  warriors  round  the  tomb 
of  the  '  hero  '  of  their  tribe. 

After  this  rough  strain  the  melody  (No.  47)  returns  with 
heavenly  effect,  dolce  in  C  major  (the  modo  lascivo  of  the 
mediaevalists),  with  a  beautifully  varied  bass.  Then  it  ig 
sportively  given  in  the  minor  by  the  second  violins,  violas, 
and  basses  alternately,  accompanied  throughout  by  the  first 
violins  in  Beethoven's  favourite  tremolo,  of  which  we  noticed 
such  fine  examples  throughout  Symphony  No.  2.  But  Bee- 
thoven has  not  yet  appeased  his  contrapuntal  appetite,  and 


THE   FINALE — FUGUE. 


85 


we  have  some  bits  of  double  counterpoint,  in  which  the 
melody  and  the  bass  theme  change  places.  Then  ihefugato 
returns,  the  subject  inverted  and  accompanied  in  semiquavers 
by  the  first  violin — 


No.  54. 


''^imM^^ 


Viola 


^^^^^Tj 


-^■ 


^1 


P^^J- — pj^-^^" 

— P-^ 

— 1»" i — r> — r — r — *- 

<feo. 

The   development   of  this   fugue  is  elaborate ;   the  original 
melody  is  introduced  in  the  flute  in  a  syncopated  fashion — 


No.  55.  Flute  sf 


]^ 


§3 


M^ 


P 


mM^ 


the  bass  subject  is  used  both  in  its  original  form  and  inverted 
at  the  same  time,  and  the  whole  rises  to  a  noble  climax  on  a 


86 


THIRD    SYMPHONY— EHOICA. 


tramolo  pedal  note  (on  B  flat  and  A  natural),  anticipating  the 
similar  effects  which  Beethoven  was  to  make  with  even  greater 
grandeur  in  the  Seventh  and  Ninth  Symphonies.  At  length 
the  orchestra  again  pauses  on  the  chord  of  the  dominant 
seventh  on  B  flat ;  and  the  pace  slackening  to  Foco  AnaSnhf 
a  new  version  of  the  original  melody  is  introduced,  to  which, 
as  already  remarked,  the  whole  preceding  portion  of  the 
movement  seems  like  a  mere  prelude — 


No.  56, 

Foco  Andante 


\f:=^p 


^SS^A^ieM^^S^^JSffll 


gp=g5^#ggt-r^r-^'^ 


4=St 


Clar 
c<m  espress. 
Fag. 


Cor. 


m^^ 


This  is  given  to  the  ohoes,  richly  harmonised  by  the 
clarinets  and  bassoons,  with  a  full  and  grand  effect. 

It  has  a  second  strain,  a  long  and  entirely  new  melody  of 
very  great  beauty — 


No.  57. 


Oboe  'V     1  -'^      ♦  .  •  ^-P-  ^^1*=^  ^  ■*•■    i    «'^     .  •  a*  i^m- 


Viol,  in  8ves.  p 

'^rH^  ^ 

fl      ^-* 

i« 

=5f— ^s=^ 

-^ — u-=5- 

1*  •   P    1 

.  p 

^ — 

i^ 

-I . 

iSsSid 

_> 

given  to  the  oboe,  and  repeated,  after  the  quotation,  in  a  most 
graceful  syncopated  form.  The  theme  gradually  spreads  to 
the  entire  orchestra,  and  forms  a  splendid  passage  of  full  and 
heavenly  harmony,  set  off  with  every  orchestral  device,  and 
producing  the  noblest  and  most  '  heroic  '  impression.  The 
air    last  quoted  is   beautiful    enough  to  convey   any  holy 


THE   FINALE — THE    CLIMAX. 


87 


or  heavenly  message.  It  might  even  appropriately  be 
what  M.  Gounod  makes  it  when,  in  his  'Redemption,'  he 
adopts  a  similar  progression  as  the  'melody  typical  of  the 
Redeemer ' — 


No.  58. 


dol.  espress. 

He  could  not  have  made  a  better  choice.  Beethoven  himself 
used  a  somewhat  similar  melody  two  or  three  years  later  than 
this  Symphony.     It  is  this  theme — 


the  treatment  of  which  sheds  such  a  lustre  on  the  working-out 
of  the  great  Overture  to  Leonora,  No.  3,  and  for  the  insertion 
of  which  its  author  sacrificed  a  fine,  long,  and  characteristic 
portion  of  the  so-called  No.  2. 

Beautiful  as  is  the  air  quoted  in  No.  57,  the  harmony  and 
instrumentation  which  accompany  it  are  no  less  so.  Every 
instrument  in  the  score  is  employed  for  some  pages ;  the  drum- 
rhythm  is  specially  observable,  but  there  is  no  noise,  and  the 
presence  of  the  melody.  No.  47,  in  the  double  basses  and 
bassoons,  effectually  connects  this  with  the  preceding  portion 
of  the  Finale.  The  close  of  the  Andante  is  especially  pathetic, 
and  in  its  march-rhythm  and  other  features  irresistibly  recalls 
the  style  of  portions  of  the  Funeral  March.  Indeed,  the 
inference  is  tempting  that  a  connection  between  the  two  move- 
ments is  intended.  Whether  this  be  the  case  or  not,  the  March 
may  well  represent  the  death  of  the  hero,  and  the  interment  of 
his  mortal  part.     The  Poco  Andante  is  his  flight  to  the  skies. 

A  short  Coda,  Presto,  in  which  the  old  melody  is  clung- to 
almost  to  the  very  end,  finishes  this  most  extraordinary  and 
impressive  work. 


88  THIRD   SYMPHONY — EEOICA. 

The  Symphony  was  purchased  by  Prince  von  Lobkowitz, 
one  of  the  three  noblemen  who,  to  then-  lasting  credit,  combined 
in  1809  to  give  Beethoven  an  income  for  the  rest  of  his  life ; 
and  as  we  saw  at  starting,  the  Prince's  name  stands  on  the 
title-page  as  dedicatee  of  the  work.  The  date  at  which  it  actually 
became  his  property,  and  the  period  for  which  he  acquired  it,  are 
not  known,  but  the  first  accessible  performance  appears  to  have 
taken  place  towards  the  end  of  January,  1805,  in  a  half  private 
fashion,  at  one  of  the  concerts  given  at  his  own  house  by 
Herr  von  Wiirth,  a  wealthy  banker.*  The  first  really  public 
performance  was  given  on  Sunday  evening,  April  7,  in  one  of 
Clement's  series  of  concerts  in  the  an-der-Wien  theatre.  On 
the  occasion  it  was  announced  as  a  *  new  grand  Symphony  in 
Dis'  (Dt,  the  Viennese  nomenclature  at  that  time  for  El?)  and 
Beethoven  himself  '  was  so  good  as  to  conduct.'  Other  private 
performances  took  place  in  the  Lobkowitz  palace  in  Vienna  ; 
and  at  one  of  these,  Beethoven  conducting,  at  the  syncopated 
passage  in  the  working-out  of  the  Allegro,  managed  to  throw  out 
the  orchestra  so  completely  that  they  had  to  begin  again.f 

An  interesting  anecdote  is  told  about  the  Symphony  during 
the  first  few  months  of  its  existence,  of  which  even  the 
accurate  Thayer  'sees  no  reason  to  doubt  the  truth.' | 
Prince  Louis  Ferdinand  of  Prussia,  a  remarkable  musician 
and  composer,  whose  piano -playing  Beethoven  placed  above 
that  of  Himmel,  and  whom  the  great  composer  complimented 
as  *not  playing  at  all  like  a  royal  person,  but  like  a  solid 
pianist,'  was  on  a  visit  to  Prince  Lobkowitz  early  in  1805,  at 
his  castle  at  Eaudnitz,  in  Bohemia.  Desiring  especially  to 
honour  his  illustrious  guest,  Lobkowitz  arranged  for  a  per- 
formance of  the  new  Symphony  by  his  orchestra,  which  always 
attended  him.  The  two  princes  took  their  seats,  and  the 
great  work  was  played  through.     Louis  Ferdinand  listened 

*  See  the  Allgemeine  musikalische  Zeitung  for  1805,  p.  321. 

t  K,ies,  Biogra^^.  Notizen,  p.  79.  %  Dictionary  of  Music,  ii.,  169a. 


EARLY   OPINIONS.  89 

with  ihe  utmost  interest,  and  at  the  close  of  the  performance 
entreated  for  a  repetition,  which  took  place.  He  was  then 
so  fascinated  as  to  beg  for  a  third,  on  the  ground  of  his 
departure  early  the  next  morning.  *  Willingly,'  said  Lob- 
kowitz,  *  if  we  may  first  give  the  band  some  supper.*  The 
supper  was  accordingly  given,  the  two  princes,  let  us  hope, 
taking  part  with  the  players,  and  then  the  immortal  Symphony 
was  once  more  played  over.  After  this  we  may  doubt  the 
truth  of  the  saying  that  it  is  possible  to  have  too  much  of  a 
good  thing. 

The  first  report  of  the  music,  that  of  the  concert  at  Herr 
von  Wiirth's,  in  January,  1805,  is  in  the  Vienna  letter  of  the 
Leipzig  paper,  the  Allgemeine  musikalische  Zeitung,  for  Feb- 
ruary 18, 1805.*  After  an  extraordinary  eulogy  of  Beethoven's 
Symphony  in  C  major,  whether  played  at  the  same  concert  as 
the  Eroica  or  at  a  previous  one  is  not  clear — as  '  a  glorious 
art-creation,'  ...» an  extraordinary  wealth  of  lovely  ideas 
treated  in  the  most  splendid  and  graceful  style,  with  coherence, 
order,  and  clearness  reigning  throughout ' — the  correspondent 
goes  on  to  the  new  Symphony,  '  not  to  be  confounded  with 
No.  2,*  which  had  recently  been  published.  He  describes  it 
'  as  virtually  a  daring,  wild,  fantasia,  of  inordinate  length  and 
extreme  difficulty  of  execution.  There  is  no  lack  of  striking 
and  beautiful  passages  in  which  the  force  and  talent  of  the 
author  are  obvious ;  but,  on  the  other  hand,  the  work  seema 
often  to  lose  itself  in  utter  confusion.    It  begins,'  he  continues, 

*  with  a  powerfully  scored  Allegro  in  E  flat,  followed  by  a 
Funeral  March  in  C  minor,  treated  fugally  towards  the  end.  The 
Scherzo  and  Finale  are  both  in  E  flat.  The  writer  belongs  to 
Beethoven's  warmest  admirers,  but  in  the  present  work  he 
finds  very  much  that  is  odd  and  harsh,  enormously  increasing 
the  difficulty  of  comprehending  the  music,  and  obscuring  its 
unity  {Einheit)  almost  entirely.'     He  then  goes  on  to  praise  a 

•  Vol.  VII.,  p.  321.  See  Hanslick,  Geschichie  des  Concertwesen  in  ]Vien,  76,  not*. 
Grove.— Beethoven'B  Nine  Symphonies.  -NoveUo's  Editiou.       G 


90  THIED   SYMPHONY— EROICA. 

Symphony  of  Eberl's  in  the  same  key  with  the  Eroica,  and 
evidently  much  more  to  his  taste. 

The  report  of  the  performance  of  April,  1805 — in  the  same 
volume,  p.  501 — is  even  more  unfavourable.  The  writer 
finds  no  reason  to  modify  his  former  judgment.  '  No  doubt 
the  work  displays  bold  and  great  ideas,  and  that  vast  power 
of  expression  which  is  the  property  of  the  composer;  but 
there  can  also  be  no  doubt  that  it  would  gain  immensely  if 
Beethoven  would  consent  to  shorten  it  (it  lasts  a  full  *hour) 
and  introduce  more  light,  clearness,  and  unity,  qualities 
which,  with  all  possible  wealth  of  ideas  and  variety  of  instru- 
mentation, are  never  absent  from  Mozart's  Symphonies  in  G 
minor  and  C  major,  Beethoven's  own  in  C  and  D,  or  Eberl's 
in  E  flat  and  D.'  Allowance  must  be  made  for  those  who 
were  hearing  so  original  a  work  for  the  first  time,  and  had  no 
scores  to  follow  it  on  ;  but  the  accusation  of  want  of  unity  is 
strange  when  one  remembers  the  persistent  way  in  which  the 
characteristic  portion  of  the  principal  subjects  of  each  move- 
ment keep  recurring — no  less  than  thirty-seven  times  in  the 
first  Allegro,  for  instance.  Judging  by  one's  present  feelings 
and  the  evidence  of  fact,  it  is  the  last  blame  that  could  be 
urged. 

Beethoven's  old  enemy,  Dionys  Weber,  whose  denunciations 
of  the  opening  of  the  First  Symphony  we  have  already 
mentioned  (see  p.  4),  was  by  this  time  head  of  the 
Conservatorium  at  Prague,  and  took  every  opportunity  to 
depreciate  and  injure  the  new  work.  Schindler  (i..  Ill)  says 
that  it  was  held  in  horror  at  the  Conservatorium  as  a 
'  dangerously  immoral  composition'  {sittenverderbendes  Werk), 
This  did  not  prevent  a  splendid  performance  at  the  *  Amateur 
Concerts '  in  Prague,  amid  the  greatest  public  f  enthusiasm. 


*  The  Symphony  plays  forty -five  or   forty-six    minutes.      Can  the   'full 
hour '  point  to  a  diflference  in  the  tempos  at  that  early  date  ? 

t  See  the  Allg.  musik.  Zeitung,  June  17,  1807,  ix.,  610. 


WABM   WELCOME   AT   LEIPZIG.  91 

It  is  pleasant  to  turn  from  such  absurdities  to  the  very 
different  spirit  which  prevailed  at  Leipzig  when  the  Symphony 
was  brought  forward  there  at  the  famous  Gewandhaus 
Concerts  on  January  29,  1807,  under  the  conductorship  of 
J.  G.  Schicht  (poor  Schicht!).  On  that  occasion  an  unusual 
innovation  was  adopted.  Special  attention  was  called  to  the 
new  Symphony  in  the  posters ;  and  in  a  bill  or  programme 
distributed  in  the  room  a  short  description  of  the  work  was 
given,  probably  for  the  first  time  in  the  history  of  such 
performances.  This  is  quoted  in  the  excellent  *history  of 
these  renowned  concerts,  compiled  by  Herr  Alfred  Dorffel 
to  celebrate  the  100th  anniversary  of  their  foundation,  on 
November  25,  1881,  and  is  as  follows : — 

*  Grand  heroic  symphony  composed  by  Beethoven,  and 
performed  for  the  first  time  in  Leipzig.  (1)  A  fiery  and  splendid 
Allegro ;  (2)  a  sublime  and  solemn  Funeral  March  ;  (3)  an 
impetuous  Scherzando  ;    (4)  a  grand  Finale  in  the  strict  style.' 

The  good  effect  of  such  a  course  was  proved  by  the  fact 
stated  in  the  Festschrift,  that  there  was  an  unusual  assemblage 
of  amateurs  and  musicians  at  the  Concert ;  a  deep  interest 
and  stillness  prevailed  during  the  performance  ;  and  the  com- 
mittee were  besieged  with  requests  for  a  repetition,  which 
took  place  a  week  later,  on  the  5th  February,  and  again  on  the 
19th  November  of  the  same  year — three  performances  in  ten 
months. 

In  England  the  first  performance  by  the  Philharmonic 
Society  was  at  the  second  concert  of  the  second  year 
— Monday,  February  21,  1814 — when  it  was  announced 
as  '  Sinfonia  Eroica  (containing  the  Funeral  March)f  .  .  . 
Beethoven.'     After  this  it  appears  to  have  taken  its  place  in 

*  Festschrift  zur  hundertjdhrigen  Jvhelfeier  der  Einweihung  des  Concert- 
taalesim  Gewandhause  zu  Leipzig,  25  Xoveiriber,  1781 — 25  November,  1881. 
Statistik,  1881.  Chronik,  1884.  A  truly  invaluable  aid  to  musical  research. 
The  information  is  given  in  Statistik,  p.  6,  and  Chronik,  p.  31. 

f  The  March  is  not  unfrequently  mentioned  as  if  part  of  the  title  of  the  work. 


92  THIRD   SYMPHONY — EROICA. 

the  regular  repertoire  of  the  Society,  though  this  is  diiSicult  to 
affirm,  from  the  fact  that  till  the  third  concert  of  1817  the 
Symphonies  are  rarely  specified  by  key  or  name.  Six  per- 
formances were  given  in  the  ten  years  1824  to  1834.  In  1823 
the  Harmonicon  -was  established  as  a  monthly  musical  paper, 
under  the  charge  of  Mr.  Wm.  Ayrton,  and  regular  notices  of 
the  concerts  are  given.  Ayrton  was  a  good  musician, 
and  in  many  respects  liberal  and  advanced  for  his  time. 
But  his  animosity  to  several  of  Beethoven's  Symphonies 
is  remarkable.  Each  successive  mention  of  the  '  Eroica  * 
is  accompanied  by  some  sneer  at  its  length,  or  the  want 
of  connection  of  its  movements.  *  Three-quarters  of  an 
hour  is  too  long  a  time  for  the  attention  to  be  fixed 
on  a  single  piece  of  music;  and  in  spite  of  its  merit 
the  termination  is  wished  for  some  minutes  before  it 
arrives  '  (1824).  '  A  very  masterly  work,  though  nauch  too 
long  for  public  performance '  (1825).  *  The  Symphony 
ought  to  have  ended  with  the  March,  the  impression  of  which 
was  entirely  obliterated  by  the  ill-suited  Minuet  which 
follows  '  (1827),  and  so  on.  These  absurdities,  we  may  be 
thankful  to  say,  are  now  at  an  end,  as  far  as  Beethoven  is 
concerned,  though  they  still  linger  elsewhere. 

In  France  the  *  Eroica '  does  not  seem  to  have  made  its 
appearance  till  about  1825,  and  then  only  through  a  stratagem 
of  Habeneck,  the  illustrious  conductor  of  the  Opera  or 
Academie  Koyale  de  Musique.  His  experiences  with  the 
Second  Symphony  had  warned  him  of  the  necessity  of 
caution,  and  accordingly  he  invited  the  principal  members 
of  his  band  to  dinner,  and  *  to  make  a  little  music,*  on  St. 
Cecilia's  Day.  The  '  little  music  '  consisted  of  the  Eroica 
and  No.  7  Symphonies,  which  seem  to  have  been  introduced 
to  these  gentlemen  on  that  day  ('the  better  the  day  the 
better  the  deed ')  for  the  first  time ;  and,  thanks  to  the 
opportune  time  of  the  ruse,  to  have  produced  a  favour- 
able effect  on  the  band.     *  Under  these  new  conditions  wo 


PERFORMANCES  IN   LONDON   AND   PARIS.  US 

found,'  says  one  of  the  orchestra,*  'that these  two  Symphonies 
contained  some  tolerable  passages,  and  that  notwithstanding 
length,  incoherence,  and  want  of  connection  they  were  not 
unlikely  to  be  effective.' 


Besides  the  *  Eroica,'  Beethoven's  compositions  in  the  key 
of  E  flat  are  numerous  ;  we  can  only  give  the  principal.  The 
Septet;  Pianoforte  Concerto,  Op.  73;  Pianoforte  Sonatas, 
Op.  7,  Op.  31,  No.  3,  and  Op.  81a;  Trio  for  Piano  and  Strings, 
Op.  70,  No.  2 ;  String  Quartets,  Op.  74  and  Op.  127 ;  '  Ah, 
perfido  I '  and  the  *  Liederkreis.'  The  passionate  slow  move- 
ment of  the  Fourth  S}Tnphony  must  not  be  omitted. 


Note. — Since  page  60  was  in  type,  it  has  occurred  to  me  that 
Beethoven  may  have  heard  Mozart's  operetta  at  the  Elector's 
National  Theatre  at  Bonn  when  a  boy.  The  lists  of  pieces 
for  1781-3  and  1789-92,  given  by  Mr.  Thayer  at  i.,  72,  73, 
and  193  of  his  valuable  work,  show  that  the  repertoire 
embraced  everything  high  and  low,  and  it  may  not  be  quite 
impossible  that  this  little  work  was  performed  at  some  time, 
as  Mozart's  EntfUhrung  was  in  1782,  '89,  and  '92.  Mr. 
Thayer,  however,  does  not  agree  with  me  in  this. 


•M.  Meifred,  afterwards  Secretary  to  the  Committee  of  the  *Soci6te  dfs 
Concerts,'  in  his  report  for  1852-53,  quoted  by  D'Ortigue,  Journal  des  LehaU:^ 
November  9,  1856, 


94 


THIRD    SYMPHONY — BROICA. 


The  following  ingenious  remarks  on  the  'Eroica'  Symphony 
have  been  communicated  to  me  by  my  friend,  Dr.  Charles 
Wood  :— 

The  principle  of  a  definite  idea,  or  ideas,  pervading  a  work, 
which  nowadays  we  are  accustomed  to  call  the  principle  of 
•Leitmotif,'  though  not  unused  before  Beethoven's  time, 
and  hardly  recognisable  till  that  of  Weber  and  Mendelssohn, 
has  become  common  enough  since,  more  especially  in  opera. 

The  idea  cannot  have  been  unknown  to  Beethoven.  Even 
if  he  knew  nothing  of  Bach's  *  Passion  '  he  must  have  heard 
and  known  Mozart's  *  Don  Giovanni,'  in  which  the  trombones 
are  sounded  on  the  appearance  of  the  Commendatore,  and  this 
employment  of  a  theme  in  connection  with  a  certain  character 
can  hardly  have  failed  to  strike  him. 

We  know  that  Beethoven,  when  composing,  had  a  picture 
in  his  mind.  In  certain  cases  he  gives  us  a  clue — e.g.,  the 
Pastoral  Symphony  and  the  Sonata  entitled  'LesAdieux,'  &c. 
As  the  Eroica  Symphony  was  professedly  a  work  inspired  by 
Napoleon,  it  is  hardly  an  injustice  to  the  composer  to  try  and 
discover  his  intentions. 

The  first  thing  which  arrests  attention  is  that  the  principal 
themes  of  the  work  are  constructed  on  the  intervals  of  the 
common  chord.  The  first  four  bars  {a)  of  the  first  subject 
(the  second  five  bars  {b)  will  be  referred  to  later)  of  the  first 
movement : — 


may  therefore  be  taken  as  the  '  motto  '  of  the  whole  work — m 
other  words,  the  Napoleon-motif.  In  the  first  move- 
ment its  dominating  influence  Is  obvious,  in  the  Marcia 
Funebre  the  minor  common  chord  is  the  groundwork  of  the 
principal  theme,  though  here  it  is  varied  by  auxiliary  and 


DR.  CHARLES  WOOD*S  REMARKS.  95 

passing  notes,  and,  curiously  enough,  when  the  first  two  bars, 
divested  of  ornaments,  are  read  backwards  we  get  the  ♦  motto.' 
The  Maggiore  Hkewise  is  founded  on  the  notes  of  a  triad.  The 
main  idea  of  the  Finale  is  also  based  on  the  same  material.  It 
is  in  the  Scherzo^  however,  that  one  is  most  tempted  to 
attempt  to  supply  the  *  picture '  which  was  in  the  mind  of 
the  composer.  The  following  explanation  of  this  movement 
may  not  be  untenable.  A  crowd,  full  of  pent-up  excitement, 
is  awaiting  the  *  hero.'  His  approach  is  welcomed  by  a  sudden 
(one-bar  crescendo)  shout  of  twenty-two  bars  ff,  and  he  makes 
his  appearance  in  as  revolutionary  a  style  as  Beethoven  could 
well  make  him  assume  : — 


^^rr^\TW^ 


^ 


*'  8f  *  ^ 

(Note  the  sudden  quiet  of  the  crowd.)  His  object  in  coming 
is  explained  in  the  Trio.  This  is  an  address  to  the  people, 
founded,  like  the  other  principal  themes  of  the  work,  on  the 
common  chord.  Three  horns,  not  two  as  in  earlier  works,  are 
used  to  give  greater  force  and  dignity.  The  speech  is  received 
with  marks  of  approval  and  cheers,  founded  on  the  'motto. 
For  structural  reasons  the  Scherzo  is  repeated,  and  a  short 
Coda  completes  the  movement.  This  is  founded  on  a  striking 
phrase,  apparently  new  : — 


-M 


&B 


but  its  connection  with  the  '  motif '  of  the  work  is  made  cleai 
by  a  reference  to  the  second  half  (6)  of  the  principal  theme  oi 
the  first  movement,  D  fiat,  instead  of  C  sharp,  being  here 
written  for  convenience. 


SYMPHONY  No.  4,  in  B  flat  (Op.  60). 

Dedicated  to  Count  Oppersdorf. 

1.  Adagio  (J_66) ;  Allegro  vivace  {^_-80).    (B  flat.) 

2.  Adagio  (J_84).     (E  flat.) 

3.  Menuetto;  Allegro  vivace  (J — 100);   Trio;  Un  poco  meno  Allegro 

(J._88).     (B  flat.) 

4.  Allegro,  ma  non  troppo  (<s'_80).     (B  flat.) 

Score. 


2  Drums. 

2  Clarinets. 

2  Trumpets. 

2  Bassoons. 

2  Horns. 

1st  and  2nd  Violins. 

1  Flute. 

Violas. 

2  Oboes. 

Violoncello. 

Basso. 

One  flute  only  is  used  throughout  the  Symphony.  Beethoven 
employed  one  flute  in  his  Pianoforte  Concertos  in  B  flat  and  C,  in 
the  Triple  Concerto  (Op.  56),  in  the  Andante  of  Symphony  No.  1, 
and  in  the  Violin  Concerto,  as  well  as  in  this  Symphony. 

The  score  is  an  8vo  of  195  pages,  uniform  with  those  of  Nos.  1,  2,  and 
3  ;  and  was  published  in  1821.  The  title  is  as  follows  : — •  4™^  Grande 
Simphonie  en  Si  I?  majeur  (B  dur)  compos6e  et  dedi6e  a  Mons'-  le 
Comte  d' Oppersdorf  par  Louis  van  Beethoven.  Op.  60.  Partition. 
Prix  16  Fr.     Bonn  et  Cologne  chez  N.  Simrock.     2078.' 

The  orchestral  parts  were  published  in  March,  1809,  by  the  'Bureau 
des  Arts  et  d'Industrie  '  (now  Haslinger),  at  Vienna  and  Pesth. 

The  Fourth  Symphony  has  been,  like  the  Eighth,  more  or 
less  under  a  cloud.  Of  its  history  less  is,  perhaps,  known 
than  that  of  any  other  of  the  nine.  No  sketches  for  it  seem 
as  yet  to  have  been  found,  and  the  investigations  of  Mr. 
^ottebohm   and   Mr.  Thayer  disclose   but  little.     It  is  the 


DATE   OF   COMPOSITION.  97 

only  one  which  has  not  a  review  in  the  Allgemeine 
viusikalische  Zeitung^  and  it  has  met  with  scant  notice  in 
some  of  the  most  prominent  works  on  Beethoven.  The 
original  MS.  was  formerly  in  the  possession  of  Felix 
Mendelssohn,  and  is  now  the  property  of  his  nephew, 
Mr.  Ernst  Mendelssohn-Bartholdy,  together  with  those  of 
the  C  minor  and  A  major  Symphonies,  and  the  other 
treasures  which  are  preserved  in  the  Mendelssohn  family- 
house  in  the  Jagerstrasse,  Berlin.  The  MS.  bears  the 
following  inscription  in  Beethoven's  own  hand,  at  the  top 
of  the  first  page  : — 

Sinfonia    4ta         1806 L.  v.  Bthvn. 

An  interval  of  two  years  thus  separates  the  completion  of 
the  Fourth  Symphony  from  that  of  the  Third.  We  know 
that  it  was  Beethoven's  intention  to  follow  the  Eroica  by 
the  C  minor,  and  that  the  first  two  movements  of  that  great 
work  virtually  date  from  1805.  The  circumstances  which  led 
to  the  C  minor  being  for  the  time  suspended  have  been 
succinctly  narrated  by  Herr  W.  J.  von  Wasielewsky,  in  his 
work  on  *Beethoven  (ii.,  233),  as  follows  :  *  Count  Franz  von 
Oppersdorf  was  a  great  amateur  of  music,  and  resided  at  his 
castle  near  Glogau.  In  the  autumn  of  1806  he  paid  a  visit  to 
Prince  Lichnowsky,  where  he  found  Beethoven,  and  heard  his 
Symphony  in  D  performed  by  the  Count's  private  band.  On 
this  occasion,  or  shortly  after,  Beethoven  was  requested  by 
Oppersdorf  to  compose  a  Symphony  for  him  for  a  fee  of  350 
florins.  Beethoven  accepted  the  offer,  and  designed  to  fulfil 
his  engagement  with  the  C  minor  Symphony.  But  in  the 
end,  with  a  vacillation  not  unfrequent  in  this  portion  of  his 
work,  he  found  himself  compelled  to  dedicate  the  C  minor 
and  Pastoral  Symphonies  jointly  to  Prince  Lobkowitz  and 
Count  Rasoumoffsky  ;  and  on  November  1,  1808,  he  wrote  to 
Oppersdorf  as  follows : — *  Bester  Graf, — Don't  look  on  me  in 

*  Ludwig  van  Beethoven,  von  W.  J.  v.  Wasielewsky.    2  vols.    Berlin,  1888. 


98  FOUHTH   SYMPHONY. 

a  wrong  light ;  the  Symphony  which  I  had  intended  for  you 
I  was  compelled  by  want  to  sell  with  a  second  one  to 
someone  else.  But  be  assured  that  you  will  very  soon 
receive  the  one  which  I  design  you  to  have.'  This  explana- 
tion is  clear  enough  as  to  the  external  facts,  but  it  gives 
no  explanation  of  the  difference  between  the  two  works 
— why  it  is  that  the  G  minor,  in  the  composition  of  which 
some  progress  had  already  been  made,  should  be  super- 
seded by  a  work  so  entirely  different  in  character  as  the 
No.  4.  It  is  impossible  not  to  remark  that  after  the  first 
two  the  Symphonies  as  they  succeed  one  another  are  very 
much  in  contrast :  the  D  major  is  followed  by  the  Eroica, 
that  by  the  B  flat,  that  by  the  C  minor,  and  that  again 
by  the  Pastoral,  the  Pastoral  by  the  gigantic  No.  7, 
No.  7  by  the  humorous  and  autobiographical  No.  8,  while 
the  crown  of  all  is  the  colossal  Choral.  Perhaps  Beethoven's 
instinct  showed  him  that  it  would  be  an  artistic  mistake  to 
follow  so  very  serious  a  Symphony  as  the  Eroica  by  one 
equally  earnest  and  profound.  There  certainly  were  more 
personal  considerations,  to  be  alluded  to  presently,  which 
made  it  impossible  for  him  to  write  in  any  other  vein.  At 
any  rate,  the  B  flat  Symphony  is  a  complete  contrast  to 
both  its  predecessor  and  successor,  and  is  as  gay  and 
spontaneous  as  they  are  serious  and  lofty.  And  this, 
perhaps,  is  one  reason  for  the  fact  that  No.  4  has  never  yet 
had  justice  done  it  by  the  public.  As  No.  8  lives  in  the  valley 
between  the  colossal  No.  9  and  the  almost  equally  colossal 
No.  7,  so  No.  4  is  equally  overshadowed  by  the  Eroica  and  the 
C  minor.  By  the  side  of  the  tremendous  questions  raised 
by  their  prodigious  neighbours,  the  grace  and  gaiety  of  No.  4 
and  the  impetuous  humour  of  No.  8  have  little  chance  of 
appreciation. 

Schumann  has  spoken  of  the  No.  4  as  standing  between 
its  companions  'like  a  slender  {sclilanke)  Greek  maiden 
between   two   Norse  giants.'     But  humour  is   hardly  the 


CHAEACTERISTICS   OF   THE   WORK.  99 

characteristic  of  a  Greek  maiden,  and  when  we  recollect  the 
humour  which  accompanies  the  grace  and  beauty  of  the  Fourth 
Symphony,  and  is  so  obvious  in  every  one  of  the  movements^ 
it  must  be  admitted,  though  with  great  respect,  that  the 
comparison  loses  something  of  its  force. 

At  the  same  time  no  expressions  of  Schumann,  or  Berlioz, 
or  any  other  worshipper  of  Beethoven,  can  be  too  strong  for 
this  beautiful  work.  There  is  something  extraordinarily 
entrainant  abjout  it  throughout ;  a  more  consistent  and 
attractive  whole  cannot  be.  In  the  Eroica  some  have 
complained  of  the  Funeral  March  as  too  long,  some  of  the 
Scherzo  as  inappropriate,  or  of  the  Finale  as  trivial ;  but  on 
the  No.  4  no  such  criticisms  are  possible ;  the  movements 
fit  to  their  places  like  the  limbs  and  features  of  a  lovely  statue ; 
and,  full  of  fire  and  invention  as  they  are,  all  is  subordinated 
to  conciseness,  grace,  and  beauty.  We  may  use  regarding 
it  the  droll  Viennese  expression  which  Beethoven  employs  in 
sending  his  Pianoforte  Sonata  in  the  same  key  (Op.  22)  to 
Hoffmeister,  the  publisher,  in  1801 : — '  Diese  Senate  hat  sich 
gewaschen,  geliebtester  Herr  Bruder! ' — or,  to  use  a  *parallel 
English  expression,  '  This  Sonata  will  wash.' 

Oulibicheff  would  have  us  beheve  that  it  might  have 
called  forth  the  sincere  compliments  of  Haydn,  who  was  still 
alive  when  it  was  produced.  But,  remembering  that  Haydn 
found  the  Trio  in  C  minor  (Op.  1,  No.  3)  too  strong  for  him,  it 
is  difficult  to  think  that  he  would  have  been  pleased  with  the 
Symphony.  Others  are  fond  of  regarding  it  as  a  pendant  to 
No.  2 ;  but,  beyond  the  fact  that  in  composing  both  Beethoven 
was  happy,  the  two  have  really  nothing  in  common.  No.  2 
is  charming,  and  stands  at  the  head  of  the  period  which  it 
illustrates.     But  in  No.  4  we  have 

An  ampler  ether,  a  diviner  air, 

with    a   humour,   a   poetry,   a  pathos,   a   romance,   and    a 
*  Though  parallel,  the  two  idioms  are  not  similarly  derived. 


100  FOURTH   SYMPHONY. 

maturity  of  style  that  are,  indeed,  predicted  in  the  Coda  to 
the  Finale  of  No.  2,  but  of  which  the  body  of  that  Symphony 
has  few  traces.  Where,  for  instance,  shall  we  look  in  No.  2, 
or,  indeed,  in  the  Eroica  itself,  for  the  romantic  passion 
which  inspires  the  slow  movement  of  No.  4  ? 

The  most  obvious  characteristic  of  the  work,  that  which 
distinguishes  it  throughout,  is  its  unceasing  and  irrepressible 
brightness  and  gaiety,  and  the  extraordinary  finish  of  the 
workmanship.  If  we  except  the  transient  gloom  of  the  intro- 
ductory Adagio,  and  a  rough  burst  or  two  in  the  Finale,  there 
is  hardly  a  harsh  bar.  Well  might  Mendelssohn  choose  a 
piece  so  contagious  in  its  gaiety  for  his  first  Programme  as 
Director  and  Conductor  of  the  Gewandhaus  Concerts  of 
Leipzig,  on  October  4,  1835.  Beethoven  must  have  been 
inspired  by  the  very  genius  of  happiness  when  he  conceived 
and  worked  out  the  many  beautiful  themes  of  this  joyous 
composition,  and  threw  in  the  spirited  and  graceful  features 
which  so  adorn  them.  The  work  is  animated  throughout 
by  a  youthful  exhilaration  more  akin  to  that  which  pervades 
Mendelssohn's  Italian  Symphony  than  anything  else  we  can 
recall— in  the  Adagio  by  real  passion.  Such  times  were  rare 
in  Beethoven's  life,  and  we  are  fortunate  in  having  so  perfect 
an  image  of  one  of  them  preserved  to  us. 

Widely  different  as  the  Fourth  Symphony  is  from  the  Third, 
it  is  not  less  original  or  individual.  It  is  lighter  and  less 
profound  than  the  Eroica,  but  there  is  no  retrogression  in  style. 
It  is  the  mood  only  that  is  different,  the  character  and  the 
means  of  expression  remain  the  same.  In  fact,  th«»  structure 
perhaps  obtrudes  itself  on  the  hearer  less  in  thfc  present 
work  than  it  did  in  the  former.  Beethoven's  life  was 
one  continual  progress  in  feeling,  knowledge,  and  power;  and 
in  time  everyone  will  acknowledge,  what  those  competent  to 
judge  have  already  decided,  that  the  later  the  work,  the  more 
characteristic  is  it  of  the  man.  The  capricious  humour  which 
we  found  manifesting  itself  in  the  twelve  bars  inserted  in  the 


CAPBICE.      WEBER'S   ANNOYANCE. 


101 


Allegro  of  the  Second  Symphony  is  strongly  in  force  here.  In 
fact,  there  is  a  *passage  in  the  *  working-out '  of  the  Adagio 
and  fanother  in  the  corresponding  section  of  the  first  Allegro 
which  are  in  this  respect  close  pendants  to  that  referred  to. 
The  working-out  section  of  the  first  Allegro  is  full  of  such 
drolleries,  which  must  have  been  simply  puzzles  and  annoy- 
ances to  those  who  first  heard  them.  How  worse  than  odd, 
how  gratuitously  insulting,  for  instance,  must  the  following 
long  scale,  from  the  working-out,  apparently  a  propos  to 
nothing,  have  seemed  to  many  a  hearer  in  1806,  when  its 
connection  with  the  subject  was  not  known  : — 


Viol.  1. 


Viol.  2. 


Cello 


though  to  us  so  natural  and  admirable. 

Indeed  the  Symphony  was  not  allowed  to  pass  unchal- 
lenged by  the  critics  at  the  time  of  its  first  appearance. 
Carl  Maria  von  Weber,  then  in  his  hot  youth,  was  one  of  its 
sharpest  opponents,  and  in  a  jeu  d' esprit  in  one  of  the  journals 
of  the  period— if  that  can  be  so  called  which  exhibits  neither 
jeu  nor  esprit — has  expressed  himself  very  bitterly.  It  is 
supposed  to  be  a  dream,  in  which  the  instruments  of 
the  orchestra  are  heard  uttering  their  complaints  after  the 
rehearsal  of  the  new  work.  They  are  in  serious  conclave 
round  the  principal  violins,  grave  personages  whose 
early  years  had  been  spent  under  Pleyel  and  Gyrowetz. 
The  double  bass  is  speaking.  *  I  have  just  come  from 
the  rehearsal  of  a  Symphony  by  one  of  our  newest 
composers;   and  though,   as   you  know,  I  have  a  tolerably 

*  Quoted  farther  on  in  No.  23. 

t  Bars  twenty  to  thirty  after  th«  double  bar. 


102  FOURTH   SYMPHONY. 

strong  constitution,  I  could  only  just  hold  out,  and  five 
minutes  more  would  have  shattered  my  frame  and  burst  the 
sinews  of  my  life.  I  have  been  made  to  caper  about  like  a 
wild  goat,  and  to  turn  myself  into  a  mere  fiddle  to  execute 
the  no-ideas  of  Mr.  Composer.  I'd  sooner  be  a  dancing- 
master's  kit  at  once,  and  earn  my  bread  with  Miiller  and 
Kauer ' — the  Strausses  of  the  day.  The  first  violoncello 
(bathed  in  perspiration)  says  that  for  his  part  he  is  too 
tired  to  speak,  and  can  recollect  nothing  like  the  warming  he 
has  had  since  he  played  in  Cherubini's  last  opera.  The 
second  violoncello  is  of  opinion  that  the  Symphony  is  a 
musical  monstrosity,  revolting  alike  to  the  nature  of  the 
instruments  and  the  expression  of  thought,  and  with  no 
intention  whatever  but  that  of  mere  show-off.  After  this 
the  orchestra- attendant  enters  and  threatens  them  with  the 
Sinfonia  Eroica  if  they  are  not  quiet,  and  makes  a  speech 
in  which  he  tells  them  that  the  time  has  gone  by  for 
clearness  and  force,  spirit  and  fancy,  *  like  those  of  Gluck, 
Handel,  and  Mozart,'  and  that  the  following  (evidently  an 
intentional  caricature  of  the  work  before  us)  is  the  last 
Vienna  receipt  for  a  Symphony : — First  a  slow  movement 
full  of  short  disjointed  unconnected  ideas,  at  the  rate  of 
three  or  four  notes  per  quarter  of  an  hour ;  then  a  mysterious 
roll  of  the  drum  and  passage  of  the  violas,  seasoned  with 
the  proper  quantity  of  pauses  and  ritardandos ;  and  to  end 
all  a  imious  finale,  in  which  the  only  requisite  is  that  there 
should  be  no  ideas  for  the  hearer  to  make  out,  but  plenty  of 
transitions  from  one  key  to  another — on  to  the  new  note  at 
once !  never  mind  modulating ! — above  all  things,  throw  rules 
to  the  winds,  for  they  only  hamper  a  genius.  ♦  At  this  point,' 
says  Weber  in  his  own  person,  '  I  woke  in  a  dreadful  fright, 
lest  I  was  on  the  road  to  become  either  a  great  composer  or 
—a  lunatic' 

How  odd  it  all  sounds ;  Pleyel  and  Gyrowetz  great  men  ; 
Cherubini  the  author  of  sensation-music  !  Beethoven  a  pooy 


THE   INTRODUCTION.  103 

mountebank  I  and  Gluck,  Handel,  and  Mozart  his  rivals !  For 
Weber  there  is  no  excuse,  but  something  may  be  said 
for  the  imperfect  appreciation  of  the  ordinary  critics  of 
those  days.  Scores*  were  not  then  published  for  years 
after  the  production  of  a  new  work ;  nor  were  there 
pianoforte  arrangements  by  which  it  might  be  studied  ; 
analyses  were  unknown ;  the  performances  were  few,  and 
took  place  for  the  most  part  in  private  houses  or  palaces,  to 
which  access  could  not  be  obtained  by  payment.  The  critic 
had  therefore  a  difficult  task,  and  his  shortcomings  may  be 
to  some  extent  excused. 

I.  The  Fourth  Symphony,  like  the  first,  second,  and  seventh 
of  the  nine,  opens  with  an  Introduction,  Adagio,  to  the  first 
movement  proper,  Allegro  vivace,  an  Introduction  as  distinct 
in  every  respect  from  its  companions  as  if  it  were  the  work  of 
another  mind.  It  commences  with  a  low  B  flat  pizzicato  and 
pianissimo  in  the  strings,  which,  as  it  were,  lets  loose  a  long 
holding-note  above  and  below  in  the  wind,  between  which 
the  strings  move  slowly  in  the  following  mysterious  phrase, 
in  the  minor  of  the  key  : — 


No.l. 

Adagio. 
Flute  pp^-^ 


m 

•^Str.pxi 


ggl^Mjji  j^b^_  I  j-^^S^^^ 


j=L     Viol.  1.     ^ 


tr.pp^CT"         "ST"  arco.  -^zr 


^^^^h/^  J-±ui: 


sempre  pp 


Basses 


F&g.pP  8va -p/p'^pj ^       -r- 

— the  bassoon  and  basses  answering  at  a  bar's  interval. 

*  The  scores  of  Beethoven's  first  four  Symphonies  were  not  published  till 
1820  and  1821,  fifteen  or  sixteen  years  after  their  first  performance.  Those  oi 
Nos.  7  and  8  are  the  first  that  ai)4)eared  near  the  time  of  production. 


104 


FOURTH   SYMPHONY. 


Three  bars  later  the  strings  again  emit  the  pizzicato  Dote 
(B  flat),  and  the  slow  unison  phrase  is  repeated,  this  time 
leading  enharmonically  from  G  flat  into  F  sharp ; — 


No.fl. 


pp  b7=r 


Basbes 


A  third  time  the  pizzicato  note  is  heard,  now  leading  into 
a  solemn  progression  of  the  basses,  marching  on  like  Fate 
itself : — 


No.  8. 


Flute,  Oboe,  Fag, 


pizz.   fp 


II.  The  Introduction  is  thirty-eight  bars  long,  and  as  its 
close  is  approached  the  tone  brightens,  and  the  ^Z^^^rro— the 
first  movement  proper,  after  being,  as  it  were,  *lashed  by  the 
preceding  chord  (of  F)  in  a  truly  sportive  manner  (not  without 
recalhng  the  introductory  passage  in  the  Finale  of  No.  1)— • 
bursts  forth  brilliantly  in  B  flat  major.  This  portion  of  the 
work  is  of  the  most  bright  and  cheerful  character  through- 
out— the  principal  subject,  in  staccato  notes  —  but  how 
different  from  the  staccato  notes  of  the  Introduction! — 
alternating  with  a  smooth  passage  for  the  wind,  and  ending 
with  a  burst  on  the  final  chord.     We  quote  three  bars  before 


♦  This  happy  exp'ression  is  due  to  Dr.  W.  Pole. 


THE    ALLEGRO   VIVACE . 


105 


fche  change  of  pace ;   and  the  subject,  which  begins  at  bar 
eight  of  the  quotation — 

jr     .  Allegro  vivace. 


(a)  £         ff 

is  gaiety  itself,  and  most  original  gaiety. 

The  connecting  portion  between  the  first  and  second 
subjects  is  delightfully  spontaneous.  The  staccato  arpeggio 
figure  of  the  former  (No.  4,  bar  8)  is  kept  constantly  in  view, 
and  great  freedom  and  life  are  given  to  it  by  the  stimulating 
tremolo  figure  of  the  violins,  of  which  we  have  spoken  under 
Symphony  No.  2  (page  41),  and  of  which  the  present  work 
contains  abundant  and  delicious  specimens — 

No.  5.  Yioi^  1.  pp 


i 


fi 


V=^ 


x=^ 


^^S^^^^I^S^^^ 


i^^ 


Fac:. . 
PP 


m 


i^     I     I 


.*-J 1 1 


3^-MdrJ=- 


ppvizz. 

ffiifc=&iij»:f 

— = — \^ 'r'-  -     T'-  - — 

'  -    ^  r  1 

Grove.— Beethoven's  Nine  Symphonlea.— Novello's  Edition.       H 


106 


FOURTH   SYMPHONY. 


At  the  end  of  this  section  we  have  a  taste  of  the 
syncopations*  which  give  such  a  flavour  to  this  and  other 
movements  of  the  work — 


No.  6.  Wind 


— r— ) 1 —  I      I       -^ — 


8/ 


the  notes  seem  almost  to  be  tumbhng  over  one  another  in 
their  eagerness  to  get  to  the  second  subject,  or  rather  the 
group  of  melodies  which  form  it.  The  sportive  conversation 
of  the  bassoon,  oboe,  and  flute — 


No.  7. 

Bassoon 


Oboe 


Flnte I 


introduced  with  extraordinary  effect  by  the  bassoon — the 
equally  sportive  *  canon  '  of  the  clarinet  and  bassoon,  as 
near  triviahty,  perhaps,  as  Beethoven  could  allow  himself 
to  approach — 


No.  8. 

Clar.  Solo 


JJ^ 


*  Compare  the  second  subject  in  the  Overture  (Op.  138),  usually,  though 
incorrectly,  known  as  'Leonora,  No.  1,'  which  was  composed  about  the  same 
tune  as  the  Symphony. 


THE   VIVACE — THE   WORKING-OUT. 


107 


and     the     strange     sequential     passage     which     connects 
them — 


No.  9. 


strings  in  unison. 


rp.a  .       1    _ 


^^=;^\ip=k=h^^ 


fe 


rs    ^■. 


X=^ 


-I — ^ri — £=c= 


do. 


if  Tutti 


&c. 


— and  bears  a  curious  *resemblance   to   the  *  Quoniam '  ol 
Beethoven's  Mass  in  C — 


No.  10. 


ni  -  am    tu     so-  lus 


Ins  sanc-tus 


— all  these,  which  form  the  second  subject,  are  as  gay  as  gay 
can  be,  and  the  music  has  not  one  sombre  bar.f 

Interesting  as  the  foregoing  is,  the  working-out,  after  the 
double  bar,  is  still  more  so.  It  supplies  an  element  of  anxiety 
and  suspense  which  finds  no  place  in  the  former  portion,  and 
is  distinguished  by  a  pathetic  spirit,  an  ingenuity,  and  a 
poetry  all  its  own.  The  means  by  which  this  is  conveyed 
are  eminently  original.  In  the  First  Symphony  we  have 
noticed  (page  9)  how  Beethoven  has  taken  the  drum  out  of 
the  obscurity  in  which  it  previously  existed,  as  one  of  the 
merely  noisy  members  of  the  band,  and  given  it  individu- 
ality.    In  the  C  minor  Piano  Concerto  and  in  the  Viohn 


*  Something  very  like  it  will  be  found  in  Clierubini's  Sonata,  Op.  36,  No.  3, 
quoted  by  Prof.  Prout,  '  Musical  Form,'  p.  143. 

t  It  is  necessary  here  to  mention  an  F  in  the  part  of  the  double  basses, 
sixteen  bars  before  the  double  bar,  which  has  crept  into  the  score  apparently 
without  any  warrant,  since  it  not  only  sounds  wrong,  but  has  no  parallel  in 
the  recapitulation,  after  the  working-out. 


108 


FOURTH    SYMPHONY. 


Concerto  the  drum  is  again  brought  into  notice,  but  in 
the  present  working-out  and  in  the  next  movement 
Beethoven  goes  farther  in  the  same  direction,  and  gives 
his  favourite  a  still  more  important  role.  —  We  will 
endeavour  to  trace  the  course  of  this  working-out.  The 
portion  just  examined  ends  in  B  flat,  and  no  conspicuous 
change  is  made  after  the  double  bar,  but  the  music 
remains  for  eighteen  bars  in  F,  the  phrases  employed 
being  those  of  the  opening  of  the  first  subject  (No.  4). 
There  is  then  a  sudden  transition  into  the  key  of  D,  and, 
after  fourteen  bars,  a  close  in  the  same  key.  With  this 
change  a  spontaneous  and  very  engaging  tune  makes  its 
appearance  as  an  addition  to  the  arpeggios  of  No.  4 — so 
spontaneous  that  it  has  the  air  of  being  a  merely  obvious 
completion  to  the  accompaniment — 


Ko.U. 


1st  Violin  and  Cello  in  8ves.  . 


pizz. 


and  is  heard  successively  five  times  in  different  keys  and 
on  different  instruments,  before  vanishing  never  to  re-appear 
in  the  piece.  The  first  and  second  violins  then  evince  a 
disposition  to  have  a  dialogue  between  themselves,  thus — 


No.  12. 

V.  1.-?-  2 


^3z 


1—1- 


This  is  at  first  interrupted  by  the  full  band ;  but  at  length 
they  accomplish    their  desire,  and,  after    an    enharmonic 


THE    ALLEGRO   VIVACE.       WORKING-OUT. 


109 


change  of  D  flat  to  0  sharp,  dissolve  into  a  lovely  soft  chord  of 
F  sharp  given  by  all  the  strings,  j)pp,  lasting  through  several 
bars,  and  accentuated  by  two  short  rolls  of  the  drum,  on  B  flat 
taken  as  A  sharp — 


No.  13. 


sempre  pp 


The  phrases  have  hitherto  been  chosen  from  the  cello  part 
early  in  the  working-out  (see  No.  15),  but  at  this  point  they 
change  and  take  up  the  scale  passage  of  bar  12  of  No.  4 — 


No.  14. 


for  eight  bars  more.  A  beautiful  change  takes  us  from 
F  sharp  to  F  natural  in  the  bass,  and  into  the  key  of  B  flat. 
The  drum  begins  a  long  roll  on  the  keynote  (B  flat)  which 
lasts  twenty-six  bars,  the  first  eighteen  of  them  being  very 
soft,  and  the  remaining  eight  increasing  to  fortissimo ;  and  as 
the  climax  to  this  the  original  theme  (No.  4)  is  returned  to. 
The  strange  succession  of  keys  in  this  passage ;  the  constant 
piano,  and  the  vivid  contrast   when  the  reprise  is  reached 


110  FOURTH   SYMPHONY. 

after  the  long  crescendo,  the  roll  of  the  drum,  the  turn  of 
the  phrases,  all  give  this  portion  of  the  working-out  an 
unusual  and  highly  poetical  effect.  It  is  interesting  to 
compare  it  with  the  corresponding  portion  in  any  one  of 
Haydn's  Symphonies,  and  see  how  enormously  music  had 
gained,  not  in  invention,  wit,  or  spirit,  but  in  variety  of 
structure,  colour,  and  expression,  during  the  few  years 
preceding  1806. 

The  Coda  is  short  and  very  spirited,  but  has  no  remark- 
able feature.  Schumann  (Gesamm.  Schriften,  iv.,  64)  has 
noticed  that  in  the  eight  bars  which  terminate  the  movement 
fortissimo,  one  of  the  first  three  is  redundant.  Schumann's 
fine  ear  for  rhythm  detected  this,  and  he  is  probably  correct, 
but  the  error,  if  error  it  be,  is  one  which  few  will  feel  with 
him. 

Before  completely  quitting  the  Allegro  we  must  notice  an 
interesting  parallel  between  the  final  crescendo  in  the  working- 
out  and  the  corresponding  passage  in  the  opening  move- 
ment of  the  '  Waldstein'  Sonata  (Op.  53),  where  the  return 
to  the  principal  subject  is  managed  in  very  much  the  same 
manner  as  it  is  here,  and  with  some  similarity  in  the 
phrases  employed.  If  *1803  be  the  correct  date  of  the 
composition  of  the  Sonata,  then  the  passage  alluded  to  may 
be  taken  as  a  first  sketch  of  that  in  the  Symphony.  Such 
parallels  are  rare  in  Beethoven,  and  are  all  the  more 
interesting  when  they  do  occur.  In  speaking  of  the  Adagio 
we  shall  notice  another. 

The  care  with  which  Beethoven  marks  his  nuances  and 
other  indications  for  the  players  is  nowhere  more  con- 
spicuous than  here.  Dots,  dashes,  and  rests  are  anxiously 
discriminated,t   and  it   almost  makes   one's  head  ache   to 

*  Thayer,  Thematiaches  Verzelchniss,  No.  110. 

f  In  the  original  score.  The  new  score  of  Breitkopf  and  Hartel  igaores  soma 
of  these  minute  differences  ;  but  they  are  the  composer's  own  insertion  (and  he 
marked  nothing  of  the  kind  without  full  intention)  and  should  be  shown. 


Beethoven's  exteeme  care  in  the  indications.    Ill 

think  of  the  labour  that  is  concealed  in  these  gay  and 
lively  pages.  In  fact,  the  details  of  all  kinds  in  these 
immortal  works  are  prodigious.  In  that  respect  they  are  like 
Hogarth's  pictures,  in  which  every  time  you  look  you  see 
some  witty  or  pertinent  point  which  you  had  not  noticed 
before.  Such  a  passage  as  the  following,  from  the  early  part 
of  the  working-out — 

No.  15. 

Cellos 


p  dim. 

with  its  dotted  crotchets,  its  quavers,  and  then  its  crotchets 
again,  this  time  with  dashes  in  place  of  dots — almost  admits 
us  to  the  process,  and  seems  to  show  the  master  in  doubt  as 
to  the  exact  form  of  expression  he  should  adopt.  A  similar 
instance  is  found  in  the  Introduction,  in  the  alternation  of 
quavers  and  rests  with  staccato  crotchets  (see  No.  3). 
Excellent  examples  of  his  minute  care  as  to  every  detail  of 
execution  are  given  in  the  *  Twenty- one  Cramer's  Studies ' 
which  he  annotated  for  his  nephew's  practice,  and  which 
have  been  recently  published  for  the  first  time  from  the 
MS.  at  Berlin,  by  Mr.  J.  S.  Shedlock  (Augener  &  Co., 
May,  1893).  One  of  the  remarkable  features  in  Beethoven's 
autograph  scores  is  the  minute  exactness  with  which  the 
marks  of  expression  (/,  p,  sfp,  crescendo,  &c.)  and  other 
dynamic  indications  are  put  in  ;  and  the  way  in  which 
they  are  repeated  in  the  MS.  up  and  down  the  page,  so  that 
there  may  be  no  misunderstanding  of  his  precise  intention 
as  to  every  instrument  in  the  band.  A  comparison  of  the 
scores  of  Mozart's  or  Haydn's  Symphonies — in  which  the 
expression  seems  to  have  been  left  almost  entirely  to  the 
conductor — with  those  of  Beethoven  will  show  how  deter- 
mined he  was  to  leave  nothing  to  chance,  not  the  smallest 
iteml 


112  FOURTH   SYMPHONY. 

III.  The  second  movement,  Adagio,  is  not  only  an  example 
of  the  celestial  beauty  which  Beethoven  (the  deaf  Beethoven) 
could  imagine  and  realise  in  sounds,  but  is  also  full  of  the 
characteristics  of  the  great  master.  Here  we  rise  from  good 
humour  and  pleasure  to  passion,  and  such  a  height  of  passion 
as  even  Beethoven's  fiery  nature  has  perhaps  never  reached 
elsewhere.  And  this  is  not  astonishing  when  we  consider 
the  occasion  which  inspired  the  Symphony.  We  now  know, 
on  evidence  that,  with  some  drawbacks  of  expression, 
has  to  unprejudiced  minds  every  appearance  of  being 
genuine,  that  in  the  May  of  the  year  in  which  Beethoven 
was  occupied  over  this  very  Symphony  he  became  engaged 
to  the  Countess  Theresa,  sister  of  his  intimate  friend  Franz 
von  Brunswick,  and  that  the  three  famous  love-letters  which 
were  found  in  his  desk  after  his  death,  and  have  been 
supposed  to  be  addressed  to  the  Countess  Giulietta  Guicciardi, 
were  really  written  to  that  *lady.  They  are  given  at  the 
end  of  this  chapter,  and  if  ever  love-letters  were  written  these 
are  they — often  incoherent  in  their  passion.  But  the  fact  is 
that  music  was  Beethoven's  native!  language  ;  and,  however 
he  may  stammer  in  words,  in  his  most  passionate  notes  there 
is  no  incoherence.  Though  he  had  been  often  involved 
in  love  affairs,  none  of  them  had  yet  been  permanent ; 
certainly  he  had  never  before  gone  so  far  as  an  engagement, 
and  when  writing  the  Symphony  his  heart  must  have  been 
swelling  with  his  new  happiness.  It  is,  in  fact,  the  paean 
which  he  sings  over  his  conquest.  Here  then  we  have  the 
secret  of  the  first  movement  of  the  C  minor,  and  an  excuse 
for  any  height  or  depth  of  emotion.     The  Countess's  raptures 

*  See  'Beethovens  unsterbliche  Geliebte,'  .  .  .  von  Mariam  Tenger,  2nd 
Ed.,  Bonn,  1890,  pp.  56,  57,  &c.  The  suggestion  was  made  many  years 
befoie,  and  on  independent  grounds,  by  Mr.  Tliayer,  in  his  great  work,  'The 
Life  of  Beethoven'  (see  Vol.  III.,  pp.  19,  157,  158).  Mr.  Thayer  has  -since 
investigated  the  book  referred  to,  and  the  second  edition  contain?  the 
statement  of  his  approval  in  the  preface. 

t  '  I  was  bom,'  he  says,  '  with  an  obbligato  accompaniment' 


THE    ADAGIO — THE    DRUM-FIGURE.  113 

will  be  found  in  the  narrative  just  referred  to:  Beethoven's 
are  here  before  us,  in  his  music.  But  observe  that  with  all 
the  intensity  of  his  passion  Beethoven  never  relinquishes 
his  hold  on  his  art.  The  lover  is  as  much  the  musician  ar 
he  ever  was,  and  this  most  impassioned  movement  is  also  one 
of  the  compactest  and,  at  the  same  time,  the  most  highly 
finished  of  all  his  works.  The  Adagio ^  though  on  a  small 
scale,  is  broad  and  dignified  in  style,  and  in  strict  'first 
movement '  form,  except  that  there  is  no  repeat  of  the  first 
section.  Its  first  and  second  subjects  are  in  the  due  and 
accepted  relation  to  each  other,  and  are  succeeded  by  a 
•  working-out,'  which,  though  but  twenty-four  bars  long, 
contains  its  special  feature,  and  is  long  enough  to  make  the 
return  of  the  first  theme  welcome.  The  recapitulation  of 
the  previous  material  is  quite  en  regie,  and  the  whole  ends 
with  a  Coda  of  eight  bars. 

The  movement  opens  with  a  figure  containing  three  groups 
of  notes  in  the  vioHns — 


No.  16. 

Adagio. 


Viol.  2. 


j^?sr 


which  serve  as  a  pattern  for  the  accompaniment  of  a  great 
portion  of  the  movement,  and  are  also  a  motto  or  refrain,  a 
sort  of  catch-word,  which  is  introduced  now  and  then  by  itself 
with  great  humour  and  telling  effect — now  in  the  bassoon, 
now  in  the  basses,  now  in  the  drum,  whose  two  intervals 
may  indeed  have  suggested  its  form,  as  they  not  improbably 
did  that  of  a  phrase  in  the  first  subject  of  the  opening 
movement  of  the  Concerto  in  C  minor.  We  venture  to  call 
it  the  '  drum-figure.'  In  its  capacity  of  accompaniment  to 
the  heavenly   melody   of  the   principal  subject,  it   is  most 


114 


FOURTH   SYMPHONY. 


lulling  and  sootliing;   when  employed  by  itself  it  is  full  of 
humour.* 

The  introductory  or  motto  bar  just  quoted  is  immediately 
followed  by  the  principal  melody — 


No.  17. 


viol.  1.  cantabile. 


wWwwW^ 


cres.  sf 


It  will  be  observed  that  it  is  a  scale  down  and  a  scale  up,  and 
formed  almost  entirely  of  consecutive  notes,  like  the  melody 
of  the  slow  movement  in  the  B  flat  Trio,  two  prominent 
subjects  in  the  Andante  of  the  *  Pastoral  Symphony,'  the 
chief  subject  of  the  concluding  movements  in  the  Choral 
Symphony,  and  others  of  Beethoven's  finest  tunes.  In  its 
close  progression  it  is  akin  to  the  picturesque  second  theme 
in  the  Allegretto  of  No.  7.  It  is  accompanied  by  a  figure 
related  to  the  '  drum-figure  '  (No.  16)  and  by  a  beautiful 
counter-melody  in  contrary  motion  in  the  violas  (not  quoted). 
It  ends  on  the  fifth  of  the  key,  instead  of  on  the  key-note,  a 
fact  which  '  gives  it,'  as  Sir  G.  Macfarren  has  aptly  said, 
'  an  air  of  inconclusion,  as  if  its  loveliness  might  go  on  for 
ever.' 

The  connecting  link  of  eight  bars  between  the  first  and 
second  subjects  is  formed  on  a  phrase — 


No.  18.  Viol.  1 


•  But  hardly  comic,   as  Schumann  {Gesamm.   Schri/ten,  L,   185)  would 
hAve  it  to  be  ;  *  a  regular  Falstaflf '  is  his  expression. 


THE  ADAGIO — SECOND  SUBJECT. 


115 


that  gains  a  special  charm  from  the  electric  force  with 
which  its  principal  note  is  thrown  off.  To  this  its  continuing 
strain  is  a  perfect  pendant — 


The  second  principal  subject,  a  melody  more  passionate, 
though  hardly  less  lovely  than  the  first,  is  as  follows — 


No.  30. 


and  has  a  pathetic  second  part  in  the  bassoons,  re-echoed  by 
the  horns,  flutes,  oboes,  &c. — 


No.  21. 


dolce 


Fag. 


Ob.  01.  dolce 


on  a  pedal  of  four  bars  of  the  *  drum  figure '  in  B  flat  and  F, 
and  with  delicious  arabesque  arpeggios  in  the  violins. 
In  both  subjects,  as  if  the  great  master  knew  what  beautiful 
tunes  he  had  made,  he  has  marked  them  with  the  term 
Cantahile,  a  word  which  he  seems  only  to  employ  when 
it  has  a  special  significance.* 

The  working-out,  though  short,  is  extremely  characteristic. 
It  begins  with  the  *  drum  figure '  in  the  second  violins,  and 

*  See  another  Cantahile  in  the  semiquaver  subject  in  the  working-out  of 
the  first  Allegro  of  the  Ninth  Symphouy. 


116 


FOURTH   SYMPHONY. 


in  E  flat,  exactly  as  at  the  opening ;  then  the  chief  subject, 
still  in  E  flat,  in  a  lovely  florid*  form,  thus — 


p  cajitabile 


then  six  bars  of  the  same  subject,  but  in  E  flat  minor ; 
then  comes  a  capital  instance  of  the  droll  caprice  to 
which  allusion  has  before  been  made,  in  the  interpolation 
into  the  flow  of  the  music  of  four  playful  bars  of  duet  for 
the  first  and  second  fiddles,  merely  to  end  as  they  began. 
This  leads  to  a  short  but  very  impressive  passage,  the 
bassoon  coming  in  for  a  bar  or  two  in  G  flat  (bar  6)  with 
a  striking  and  weird  effect.     We  subjoin  a  quotation — 


Bass.;.- '     ^ 

^(^  Viol.  1.     •— ^-^ 
U"   p  eapressivo. 


=^^^ff^^^Sf 


Bassi  8va. 

After  this  the  reprise  is  reached  by  a  scale  upwards  in  the 
flute,  and  the  principal  subject  is  then  given  at  the  same  time 
by  the  flute  and   clarinet — by   the    clarinet   in   its  original 

*  Not  unapproved  of  by  Scliumann.     See  liis  Scblumraerlied  (Op.  124). 


THE    ADAGIO — A   COINCIDENCE. 


117 


nnadorned  form  (No.  17)  and  by  the  flute  in  its  florid 
shape.  The  recapitulation  is  shortened  by  eight  bars, 
then  comes  the  link  (No.  18),  and  then  the  second 
principal  subject  (No.  20),  now  in  the  key  of  E  flat,  with  its 
second  portion  this  time  in  the  horns ;  then  a  few  bars'  more 
play  on  the  first  subject  by  way  of  Coda,  with  some  delightful 
expiessive  work  in  the  clarinet  and  flute,  including  a  touch- 
ing drum  solo  given  pianissimo,  and  this  truly  lovely  poem  is 
at  an  end.  The  workmanship  throughout  is  masterly  in 
combinations  of  the  instruments,  and  in  imitative  passages, 
and  every  embellishment  possible ;  while  at  the  same  time 
the  effect  of  the  whole  is  pure  and  broad,  and  free  from  the 
faintest  trace  of  mesquinerie  or  virtuosity.  '  Believe  me,  my 
dear  friend,'  says  Berlioz,  who,  with  all  his  extravagance, 
was  a  real  judge  of  Beethoven — 'believe  me,  the  being  who 
wrote  such  a  marvel  of  inspiration  as  this  movement  was 
not  a  man.  Such  must  be  the  song  of  the  Archangel  Michael 
as  he  contemplates  the  worlds  uprising  to  the  threshold  of 
the  empyrean.' 

We  have  already  in  the  first  movement  noticed  a  coinci- 
dence between  the  return  to  the  first  subject  and  the  analogous 
portion  of  one  of  Beethoven's  Pianoforte  Sonatas.  The  Adagio 
furnishes  another  coincidence  in  the  course  of  the  treatment  of 
the  second  subject  ;  the  corresponding  passage  being  in  the 
Adagio  of  his  Sonata  for  Piano  and  Violin  in  A  (Op.  30,  No.  1), 
where  the  detached  semiquavers  with  which,  in  the  Symphony — 


VioL- 


&c. 


pit* 


118 


FOURTH    SYMPHONY. 


the  violing  accompany  the  melody  of  the  clarinet,  occur  in 
the  solo  violin,  with  a  similar  bass.  The  two  movements 
have  other  points  of  likeness  which  make  them  worth 
comparison  by  the  student,  one  of  the  principal  being  the 
employment  of  a  figure  of  dotted  semiquavers  akin  to 
those  given  in  No.  11.  The  Sonata  was  probably  composed 
in  1802 ;  so  that,  like  the  passage  in  the  *  Waldstein ' 
Sonata,  already  mentioned,  it  preceded  the  Symphony. 

IV.  Here  we  return  to  the  key  of  B  flat,  and  to  the  term 
*  Minuet,'  which  has  vanished  from  the  Symphonies  since 
No.  1,  though  the  words  Tempo  di  menuetto,  attached  to  the 
second  movement  of  the  little  Pianoforte  Sonata,  Op.  49, 
No.  2  (composed  in  1802),  and  the  In  tempo  d'un  menuetto,  at 
the  head  of  the  first  movement  of  the  Sonata  in  F,  Op.  54 
(dating  from  before  1806),  as  well  as  the  use  of  the  letter  *  M' 
in  the  sketches  of  the  Eroica  Symphony  (see  page  79)  show 
that  the  term  was  still  famihar  to  Beethoven.  The  Minuet 
in  the  Fourth  Symphony  is,  however,  still  farther  removed 
from  the  old  accepted  minuet-pattern  than  that  of  the  First 
Symphony  was — and  still  nearer  to  the  'New  Minuet'  for 
which  the  aged  Haydn  longed  (page  12). 

The  opening  section  is  as  follows  : — 


No.  25.  Allegro  vivace 
VioL 


Clar. 


The  autograph  shows  that  the  tevipo  was  originally  indicated 
as  Allegro  molto  e  vivace ^  but  the  molto  has  been  effaced. 


MINUET   AND   TRIO. 


119 


In  the  above  passage  three  things  strike  the  hearer — (1)  the 
vague  uncertain  restlessness  caused  by  the  compression  of  a 
phrase  in  common  time  into  triple  rhythm,  in  bars  one  and 
tWo  ;  (2)  following  this,  the  alternations  of  wind  and  strings 
in  a  phrase  as  frankly  in  triple  time  as  the  other  was 
irregularly  so  ;  (3)  the  sudden  change  into  B  flat  minor 
at  the  fifth  bar.  After  the  quotation  and  the  double  bar  the 
same  phrases  go  at  once  into  D  flat.  A  melodious  passage 
then  appears  in  the  bassoon  and  cello,  as  a  bass  to  the 
others,  but  this  receives  no  development — 


No.  26. 


j=2.-     4a.. 


sempre  p 

4- 


zzt. 


:]=t 


cres. 


Farther  on  an  excellent  effect  is  produced  by  an  unexpected 
sforzando  on  the  weak  note  of  a  bar  thus — 


No.  27. 


■^^^-^-^ 


izja. 


5^^^ 


a=t: 


mii 


j^44^44j.j 


m 


T^r^ 


=P?= 


s/~"  9 


The  Trio — or  second  Minuet,  for  the  Trio  was  originally 
only  that — is  an  excellent  contrast  to  the  preceding  section. 
The  pace  is  somewhat  slackened,  the  music  starts  in  the  wind 
in  unmistakable  triple  time — the  smooth  phrases  of  the  oboe, 
clarinets,  bassoons,  and  horns  being  interrupted  by  the 
daintiest  phrases  from  the  violins — 

No.  28.  Tkio.  Un  poco  meno  allegro.  r»v 

tt;/^i  ^" 


Oboe 


Viol. 


g3j*|j"^|^-JT^ 


^  T^^'F^L^'F^L^f^ 


&a 


120 


FOURTH    SYMPHONY. 


and  the  whole  farmmg  one  of  the  tenderest  and  most  refined 
things  to  be  found  anywhere. 

As  mstances  of  the  lovely  touches  with  which  Beethoven 
could  heighten  the  expression  of  the  tenderness  which  formed 
so  large  an  element  in  his  great  heart,  and  display  the 
interest  which  he  took  in  his  work,  take,  amongst  many, 
the  following  modifications  of  phrases  already  quoted — 


and 


iit 


«//» 


and  another  little  passage — 

No.  30. 


as  delicate  as  the  song  of  a  robin  singing,  as  robins  do  sing^ 
over  the  departed  delights  of  summer. 

After  proceeding  in  this  beautiful  manner  for  some  time,  a 
new  feature  comes  in — namely,  the  tremolo,  which  we  have 
noticed  in  the  first  movement,  and  which  here  forms  a 
truly  beautiful  accompaniment  to  the  main  theme.  It 
is  almost  confined  to  the  strings,  and  begins  as  follows — 


No.  31. 


i 


Viol.l.  pp 


V. 

Viola 


pp 


Windpp 


i 1    -I  (- 


Viol. 


^^ 


^g!f^^5'-^.'^5.'^ 


cres.  poco  a  poco. 


Nothing  can  be  more  refined  or  charming  than  the  effect 
of  this,  which  lasts  for  nearly  forty  bars  and  brings  back 
the  original  Minuet,  at  the  original  pace. 


MINUET   AND   TBIO   GIVEN   TWICL. 


121 


This  movement  shares  with  the  corresponding  portion  of 
the  Seventh  Symphony  the  pecuHarity  that  the  Trio  is 
twice  given  and  the  Minuet  repeated  each  time.  Mozart 
occasionally  gives  two  independent  Trios  to  the  one  Minuet 
— a  practice  in  which  Schumann  followed  him  in  his 
Symphonies  in  B  flat  and  C — and  in  one  instance  has  even 
three  different  Trios.  But  Beethoven  appears  to  stand 
alone  in  repeating  the  single  Trio.  He  has  done  it  in  the 
second  of  his  Easoumoffsky  Quartets — that  in  E  minor, 
in  the  Pianoforte  Trio  in  E  flat  (Op.  70,  No.  2),  and  perhaps 
elsewhere,  as  well  as  in  the  two  Symphonies.  In  the  present 
case  the  repetitions  of  both  Minuet  and  Trio  are  given  each 
time  identically,  the  only  addition  being  the  three  bars  at  the 
very  end,  in  which,  as  Schumann  says,  *  the  horns  have  just 
one  more  question  to  put ' — 

No.  33. 


A  A  A    '■ 

^-   il-ii 

T^"i                       Cor.                         -= 

fr):,  b —J     ijf — ar'     ^  • 

=,    s 

1 p_j ^j_j p — p^ 1 

bE^^,^ 

These  three  bars  are  an  augmentation  of  the  rhythm  of  the 
piece,  and  as  such  have  been  objected  to  by  purists,  to  whom 
rhythm  and  structure  sometimes  seem  to  be  more  than 
meaning  or  poetry. 

V. — But  lively,  vigorous,  and  piquant  as  are  the  first  and 
third  movements,  they  are  in  these  qualities  surpassed  by  the 
Finale,  which  is  the  very  soul  of  spirit  and  irrepressible  vigour. 
Here  Beethoven  reduces  the  syncopations  and  modifications 
of  rhythm  which  are  so  prominent  in  the  first  and  third 
movements,  and  employs  a  rapid,  busy,  and  most  melodious 
figure  in  the   violins,  which  is  irresistible  in  its   gay  and 

Grove.— Beethoven's  Nine  Symphonies.— Novello'B  Edition.       I 


122 


FOURTH   SYMPHONY. 


brilliant  effect,  while  the  movement  as  a  whole  is  perfectly 
distinct  from  that  of  the  first  Allegro.  It  is  as  much  a 
ferpetuum  mobile  as  any  piece  ever  written  with  that  title. 
On  the  autograph  manuscript,  the  tempo  of  the  Finale  is  thus 
written — All°-  (in  ink)  ma  non  troppo  (in  red  chalk),  con- 
clusively showing  that  the  ma  non  trojjpo  was  a  second 
thought,  a  caution  on  Beethoven's  part — *  fast,  but  not  too 
fast.' 


The  figure  alluded  to  rushes  off  as  follows — 


No.  33.   Viol.  IP 


Viol.  3 


If:    Strings  f)p 


— and  is  made  especially  characteristic  by  the  rhythm  of  its 
last  notes — 


Clar.  &  Fl. 


— the  last  four  bars,  and  especially  the  last  three  notes  (a) 
of  the  phrase,  having  a  remarkable  way  of  staying  in  one's 
ear.    Besides  this  subject  there  is  a  second,  as  follows — 


r.^-X|M^^:^ 


followed  by  a  second  strain — 


No.  36. 


Oboe,  &c 


Viol. 


FINALE — HUMOUR — FALSE   ALARM. 


123 


vnih  alternations  of  wind  and  string,  and  ending  in  this  fresh 
and  sportive  phrase — 


No.  37. 

Viol.  &  Flute 


f^^.      ^ 


ff-    ^%    #•  -r..    ^^%^^ 


The  working-out  is  not  less  lively  or  humorous  than  that 
of  the  first  movement.  It  begins  with  an  extension  of  the 
semiquaver  figure  (No.  33)  crescendo ^  which  culminates  in  a 
tremendous  B  natural*  through  three  octaves — 


No.  38. 


^i^tf'^irf^Wf^ 


5?5  5? 


which  has  all  the  air  of  a  false  alarm,  but  does  not  disturb 
the   basses    in   their    business-like   pursuit   of    the    original 


*  The  moderation  of  Beethoven's  scoring  is  strikingly  shown  in  these 
B  naturals.  He  evidently  intends  them  to  be  a  great  contrast  to  the 
preceding  string  passage,  and  yet  the  only  additions  which  he  makes  to  the 
strings  are  the  single  flute,  oboes,  and  bassoons — no  clarinets,  trumpets, 
boms  or  drunks— tronilx)nes  there  a,re  none  in  the  score. 


124 


FOURTH    SYMPHONY. 


idea.     'House  a-fire,'  shouts  the  orchestra, 
concern  of  ours,'  say  the  basses. 
This  introduces  a  little  phrase — 


AH  right ;  no 


No.  39. 


^^^ 


on  which  the  bassoon,  clarinet,  and  oboe  converse  in 
charming  alternation,  with  gay  sforzandos  from  the  strings  ; 
and  the  workiug-out  ends  with  an  irresistible  flourish  for 
the  bassoon,  who  can  hold  his  tongue  no  longer.  But  we 
will  not  enumerate  the  many  other  features  of  this  beautiful 
and  irrepressible  Finale,  It  must  be  admitted  that  there  is 
some  ground  for  the  disgust  of  the  double  bass  in  Weber's 
skit  (see  page  lOl^l.  But  though  full  of  drollery,  Beethoven 
is  constantly  showing  throughout  how  easy  it  is  for  him  to 
take  flight  into  a  far  higher  atmosphere  than  mere  fun.  The 
movement  places  him  before  us  in  his  very  best  humour  :  not 
the  rough,  almost  coarse  play,  which  reigns  in  the  mis- 
chievous, unbuttoned*  rougher  passages  of  the  Finales  to  the 
Seventh  and  Eighth  Symphonies ;  but  a  genial,  cordial 
pleasantry,  the  fruit  of  a  thoroughly  good  heart  and  genuine 
inspiration.  What  can  be  gayer  music  than  the  following 
passage  just  before  the  Code 


No.  40. 


^L.a- 


♦  3©ethovea'8  own  yioxH—aufgekruip/t. 


FINALE — FAREWELL. 


125 


rt^"^ — -^ — 1 

pJ^.   .Sjr 

»J-— i^^ip  ^1-^ 

Cellos"^ 

a  fcaa  sta  tsa  ^^^^        &e. 

or  what  more  touching  than  the  passage  in  which  he  says 
good-bye  in  a  tone  of  lingering  affection  as  unmistakable  as 
if  he  had  couched  it  in  words — 


No.  41. 


Viol.  1.  Soli. 


a  passage  specially  interesting  because  it  is  a  simple  repetition 
of  the  first  bars  of  the  figure  which  opened  the  movement 
(No.  83)  put  into  half  the  original  speed,  a  device  which  Bee- 
thoven has  used  elsewhere — for  instance,  at  the  end  of  the 
Overture  to  '  Coriolan,'  and  in  the  oboe  passage  at  the  clearing 
off  of  the  storm  in  the  Pastoral  Symphony — with  the  happiest 
effect. 

So  ends  this  delightful  movement,  and  in  parting  from  it,  it 
is  well  to  remember  that  it  is  the  last  gay  Finale  that  will  be 
vouchsafed  to  us.  Beethoven  was  now  in  his  thirty -seventh  year. 
The  mutual  love  which  inspired  these  happy  strains,  and  which 
threw  so  golden  a  light  on  the  future,  was  soon  clouded  with 
obstacles;  difficulties  of  an  external  and  cruel  kind  set  in,  ill- 
health  and  the  constant  presence  of  deafness  increased,  and 
life  became  a  serious,  solitary,  painful  conflict.  Beauty  there 
will  always  be,  and  strength  and  nobility,  but  the  gaiety  is 
gone.  The  Finale  of  No.  5  is  triumphant,  of  No.  6  religious, 
those  of  Nos.  7  and  8  romantic,  humorous,  and  rough ;  but 
the  careless  delight  of  this  beautiful  movement  we  shall 
encounter  no  more. 


126  FOURTH   SYMPHONY. 

Something  has  been  lately  said  in  two  sonnets*  on 
Beethoven,  implying  that  grief  was  the  prevailing  topic  of  his 
music.  As  justly  might  we  call  Shakespeare  the  poet  of 
grief.  Both  he  and  Beethoven  can  depict  grief  and  distress  as 
no  one  else  can ;  but  then  they  are  equally  successful  with  joy, 
and  indeed  with  every  other  emotion.  They  worked  in  the 
entire  domain  of  human  nature,  and  gave  each  department 
of  that  nature  its  due  proportion.  If  a  complete  answer  were 
wanted  to  such  a  criticism  it  is  supplied  by  the  beautiful  and 
exhilarating  Symphony  which  we  have  been  considering. 
In  the  slow  movement,  if  anywhere,  grief  might  be  expected 
to  find  a  place.  But  is  it  there  ?  Refinement,  sentiment, 
passion  there  are  in  highest  abundance  and  constant  variety 
in  that  enchanting  portion  of  the  work;  but  where  is  the 
distress  ?  

The  autograph  shows  a  curious  slip  of  its  great  author's. 
It  is  in  the  double  bass  part,  in  the  fourth  bar  of  the  Finale, 
The  notes  are  somewhat  blurred,  and  to  avoid  mistake  he  has 
put  letters  under  them  thus — 


— But  A  is  B  natural,  not  B  flat ! 


The  first  performance  of  the  Symphony  took  place  at  one 
of  two  Concerts  given  in  March,  1807,  at  the  house  of  Prince 
Lobkowitz.  The  programmes  consisted  entirely  of  Beethoven's 
compositions,  and  contained  the  four  Symphonies,  the 
Overture  to  *  Coriolan,'  a  Pianoforte  Concerto,  and  some 
airs  from  *  Fidelio.'     (Journal  des  Iaiums  und  der  Moden,  for 

•  By  Mr.  William  Watson,  see  the  Spectator  of  May  20,  27,  and  June  10,  1893. 


COMPOSITIONS   IN  B  FLAT.  127 

A.pril,  1807— quoted  by  Thayer,  iii.,  7.)  The  reporter,  while 
praising  the  *  wealth  of  ideas,  bold  originality,  and  extra- 
ordinary power  which  are  the  special  features  of  Beethoven's 
music,'  harps  on  the  old  string  by  lamenting  the  absence  of 
dignified  simpUcity,  and  the  undue  amount  of  subjects,  which 
from  very  quantity  cannot  be  duly  worked  and  developed,  and 
thus  have  too  often  the  effect  of  unpolished  diamonds  ! 

In  England  the  first  performance  of  which  the  date  can 
with  certainty  be  named  was  by  the  Philharmonic  Society  on 
March  12,  1821.  It  may  have  been  played  before  that  date, 
but  until  1817  the  keys  or  numbers  of  the  Symphonies  were 
not  given.  At  any  rate,  it  was  not  heard  for  the  four  yeajs 
preceding  1821.  From  that  year  to  1893  it  has  been  played 
by  the  Society,  with  few  exceptions,  every  year.  At  the 
Crystal  Palace,  between  the  years  1855  and  1893,  it  was 
performed  thirty-three  times. 

Besides  the  Symphony,  the  key  of  B  flat  has  been  chosen 
by  Beethoven  for  several  most  important  works — such  as 
the  great  Piano  Trio,  Op.  97;  two  Piano  Sonatas,  Op.  22 
and  Op.  106,  the  latter  the  greatest  of  all  the  series. 
Also  the  String  Quartets,  Op.  18,  No.  6,  and  Op.  130— the 
Finale  of  this  was  written  at  Gneixendorf,  Johann  van  Bee- 
thoven's house,  in  substitution  for  a  very  long  and  elaborate 
fugue,  which  was  afterwards  published  separately  as  Op.  188. 
The  new  Finale  was  *written  in  November,  1826,  five  months 
before  the  author's  death.  It  was  his  last  composition,  and  is 
as  light  and  delicate  as  if  it  had  been  written  in  perfect  health 
and  happiness,  instead  of  having  been  composed  among  the 
privations  of  a  home  where  his  comfort  seems  to  have  been 
cared  for  by  no  one  but  a  servant,  and  where  every  meal  was 
embittered  by  the  presence  of  his  brother's  wife,  a  woman 
whom  he  detested  as  thoroughly  bad,  and  who  was  certainly 
most  commonplace  and  f  disagreeable.    Of  separate  movements 

*  Schindler,  Biographie,  ii.,  115.  f  See  end  of  this  chapter. 


128  FOURTH    SYMPHONY. 

in  B  flat  may  be  named  the  Allegretto  Scherzando  in  the 
Eighth  and  the  Adagio  in  the  Ninth  Symphonies,  the  Credo 
of  the  Mass  in  D,  •  Adelaide,'  and  the  Prisoners'  Chorus  in 
'  Fidtiho.'     The  hst,  if  not  long,  is  a  truly  splendid  one. 


THE   LOVE-LETTERS  (p.  112). 

The  following  letters  are  very  hard  to  translate  adequately. 
The  writer's  emotion  runs  away  with  his  pen,  and  especially 
with  his  punctuation,  which  was  always  peculiar.  The 
version  aims  at  conveying  the  intention  of  the  words  without 
straying  farther  than  is  possible  from  the  actual  expressions. 
But  indeed  they  cannot  be  properly  rendered. — The  year  is 
1806,  and  the  locality  is  Fiired,  a  bathing-place  on  the  north 
shore  of  the  Plattensee,  a  lake  south  of  Buda  Pesth,  in 
Hungary. 

July  6,  Morning. 

My  angel,  my  all,  my  very  self — Only  a  few  words  to-day ; 
and  those  in  pencil — your  pencil.  Till  to-morrow  I  shall  not 
know  where  I  have  to  live  :  what  shameful  waste  of  time  for 
such  a  matter!  Why  be  so  sorroTvful  when  there  is  no  other 
course  ?  How  is  our  love  to  exist  but  by  sacrifices,  and  by  not 
exacting  everything  ?  Can  you  help  the  fact  that  you  are  not 
wholly  mine,  and  I  not  wholly  yours  ?  0  God  !  Look  at  lovely 
nature  and  meet  the  inevitable  by  composure.  Love  wants  to 
have  everything,  and  quite  right ;  thus  I  feel  towards  you,  and 
you  towards  me :  only  you  forget  too  easily  that  I  have  to 
live  for  myself  and  for  you  as  well.  If  we  were  not  absolutely 
one,  you  would  feel  your  sorrow  as  little  as  I  should. 

My  journey  was  fearful :  there  were  not  horses  enough,  and 
I  did  not  get  in  till  4  o'clock  yesterday  morning.  The  post 
chose  another  road,  a  shocking  one.  At  the  last  stage  but 
one  they  warned  me  not  to  travel  at  night,  and  to  beware 
of  a  certain  wood :  that  only  attracted  me,  but  I  was  wron^. — 


THE    LOVE-LETTERS.  129 

the  carriage  was  bound  to  break  down  on  this  fearful  road— a 
bottomless,  rough  country  track — and  but  for  my  postillions 
I  should  have  been  left  on  the  spot.  Esterhazy  had  the  same 
disaster  on  the  ordinary  road  with  his  8  horses  that  I  had 
with  my  4.  However  I  had  some  enjoyment  out  of  it,  as 
I  always  have  when  I  overcome  a  difficulty. 

And  now  to  go  at  once  from  these  things  to  ourselves.  I 
suppose,  we  shall  see  one  another  soon.  I  can't  tell  you  now 
of  all  the  reflections  about  my  life,  which  I  have  been  making 
in  the  last  few  days.  If  only  our  hearts  were  always  close 
together,  I  should  probably  not  make  any  of  the  kind.  My 
heart  is  full  of  all  it  wants  to  say  to  you.  Ah  I  There  are  times 
when  I  find  that  speech  is  absolutely  no  use.  Cheer  up. — 
Remain  my  true  and  only  treasure,  my  all  in  all,  as  I  am 
yours.  As  for  other  things  we  may  let  the  Gods  decree  them 
and  fix  our  lot. 

Your  faithful  Ludwig. 

Monday  Evening,  July  6. 
You  are  in  trouble  my  dearest  creature  !  I  have  only  just 
learnt  that  letters  must  leave  here  very  early.  Monday  and 
Thursday  are  the  only  days  on  which  the  post  goes  to  K. 
You  are  in  trouble.  Ah !  Wherever  I  am,  too,  you  are  with 
me.  With  you  to  help  me,  I  shall  make  it  possible  for  us  to 
live  together.  What  a  life  I ! !  ! — to  be  like  this  1 1 !  1 — without 
you — persecuted  by  the  kindness  of  people  here  and  there, 
which  I  feel  I  do  not  care  to  deserve  any  more  than  I  do 
deserve  it, — the  subservience  of  one  man  to  another — it  hurts 
me ;  and  when  I  think  of  myself  in  relation  to  the  universe 
what  am  I  ?  and  what  is  he  whom  we  call  greatest  ?  and  yet 
in  that  very  thing  lies  the  divine  in  man.  I  could  cry  when  I 
think  that  perhaps  you  won't  get  any  news  of  me  till  Saturday. 
However  much  you  love  me,  my  love  is  still  stronger ;  but  nevei 
conceal  your  thoughts  from  me.  Good  night.  I  am  a  patient 
and  must  go  to  bed.    Oh  God,  so  near  and  yet  so  far  I    Is  not 


130  FOURTH   SYMPHONY. 

our  love  a  truly  heavenly  structure,  as  firmly  established  as 
the  firmament  itself? 

Good  morning,  July  7. 
Even  before  I  get  up  my  thoughts  are  rushing  to  you,  my 
immortal  love — first  joyful  and  then  again  sad — wondering  if 
Fate  will  be  good  to  us.  I  must  live  entirely  with  you  or  not 
at  all ;  nay  I  liave  resolved  to  remain  at  a  distance  till  I  can 
fly  into  your  arms,  call  myself  quite  at  home  with  you,  wrap 
my  soul  up  in  you,  and  send  it  into  the  realm  of  spirits.  Yes, 
alas  it  must  be  so.  You  will  be  brave,  all  the  more  because 
you  know  my  affection  for  you.  No  one  else  can  ever  possess 
my  heart— never — never  I  0  God,  why  must  one  be  separated 
from  that  one  loves  best  ?  And  yet  my  life  in  *W.,  as  things 
are,  is  a  wretched  sort  of  life.  Your  love  has  made  me  at  once 
the  happiest  and  most  wretched  of  men.  At  my  age  I  should 
need  a  certain  uniformity  and  regularity  of  life — can  this  exist 
with  our  present  relationship  ?  Be  calm  I  only  by  calm  con- 
templation of  our  existence,  can  we  achieve  our  object  of  living 
together.  Be  calm — love  me.  To-day — yesterday — ^how  I  have 
longed  and  wept  for  you  I  for  you,  for  you,  my  life,  my  all — 
good-bye,  oh,  go  on  loving  me — never  misunderstand  the  most 
faithful  heart  of  your  lover. 

Ever  yours, 
Ever  mine. 
Ever  each  other's.  L. 


•  W.— Wlen.  Vienna. 


BEETHOVEN   AT   GNEIXENDORP.  131 

Beethoven  at  Gneixendorf.* 
The  interesting  article,  of  which  the  following  is  a  trans- 
lation, was  communicated  by  Dr.  Lorenz  to  the  Deutsche  Musih 
Zeitungy  a  Vienna  periodical,  of  March  8th,  1862. 

'Being  convinced  that  the  smallest  trait  which  can  help  ns 
to  complete  the  portrait  of  our  incomparable  composer  is  of 
interest,  I  recently  asked  my  old  friend  K.,  the  medical  man  at 
Langenlois,  to  let  me  have  anything  that  he  could  find  about 
Beethoven's  visit  fto  Gneixendorf,  his  brother  Johann's 
country  place  in  lower  Austria.  Both  my  friend  and  the  present 
owner  of  the  property  most  kindly  carried  out  my  wish,  and 
I  here  give  what  little  I  have  been  able  to  make  out  of  their 
casual  and  fragmentary  information. 

*  1 .  Johann  van  Beethoven  went  one  day  in  company  with  his 
brother  Ludwig  and  several  other  persons  from  Gneixendorf  to 
Langenfeld  to  call  on  Karrer,  the  surgeon,  who  lived  there  and 
frequently  came  to  the  Beethovens'  house ;  Karrer,  however, 
was  absent  on  his  professional  duties  and  missed  them. 
Madame  Karrer,  however,  was  extremely  flattered  by  the 
visit  of  the  excellent  landed  proprietor,  and  served  up  a  rich 
repast  of  whatever  was  to  be  had.  At  length  her  eye  fell 
on  a  modest  looking  sort  of  man  who  said  nothing,  but  was 
lounging  on  the  stove -bench.  Supposing  him  to  be  a  servant 
she  filled  a  mug  with  fresh  wine  and  handed  it  to  him  saying  : 
•'  Now  then,  you  must  have  a  drink."  When  Karrer  returned 
home  at  night  and  heard  the  story  he  at  once  divined  who  it 

*  Gneixendorf  is  about  four  miles  above  Krems,  which  is  on  the  Danube, 
sixty  miles  north  of  Vienna.  The  road  from  it  to  Krems,  down  which 
Beethoven  had  to  drive  in  an  op«n  trap  on  December  2,  is  very  much 
exposed  to  the  East.  Wissgrill  bought  the  property  from  Johann  van 
Beethoven,  Karrer  from  Wissgrill,  and  Kleile  from  Karrer,  Kleile  was  uncle 
to  Mrs.  von  Schweitzer,  who  was  living  there  when  I  visited  it,  August  21, 1889, 
and  it  was  he  who  induced  Lorenz  to  collect  and  put  together  the  following 
information.  The  house  and  premises  appeared  to  be  all  but  unaltered  froix 
what  they  were  in  1826,  and  were  charming. 

t  '  I  am  now  at  Gneixendorf,'  says  Beethoven  in  a  letter.  '  The  name  is  like 
the  breaking  of  an  axle-tree.' 


182  FOURTH   SYMPHONY. 

was  that  had  been  sitting  behind  the  stove.  **  My  dear  wife," 
cried  he,  "  what  have  you  done  ?  You  have  had  the  g^^^atest 
composer  of  the  century  in  your  house  and  this  is  how  you 
mistook  him  1  " 

'  2.  Johann  van  Beethoven  had  once  to  do  some  business  with 
the  Magistrate  (Syndicus)  Sterz  in  Langenlois,  and  Ludwig 
accompanied  him.  The  interview  was  a  long  one,  and  while  it 
lasted  Ludwig  remained  standing  outside  the  office  door 
without  taking  any  notice.  At  parting  Sterz,  however,  made 
him  many  bows  and  then  asked  his  clerk  Fux — an 
enthusiast  for  music,  and  especially  for  Beethoven's  music — 
♦*  who  do  you  think  that  man  was  who  was  standing  outside 
the  door?  "  "  As  you  paid  him  so  many  compliments,"  said 
Fux,  "I  suppose  he  must  be  somebody — but  really  I  should 
have  taken  him  for  an  idiot."  Fux  was  tremendously 
astonished  when  he  heard  who  the  person  was  whom  he  had 
80  much  mistaken. 

'  That  Beethoven's  appearance  was  by  no  means  always  idiotic 
is  plain  from  what  once  happened  to  me.  It  was  in  my  young 
days,  shortly  after  my  arrival  in  Vienna  from  the  country, 
when  I  had  not  yet  acquired  that  pliant  dancing-master 
sort  of  gait  which  is  absolutely  necessary  in  the  crowded 
streets  of  a  Eesidenz-town.  One  day  in  a  narrow  street  I  ran 
against  a  man  who  fixed  me  with  a  piercing  glance  before  he 
moved  on.  The  close  look  which  I  had  into  the  fiery  depths 
of  those  eyes  I  never  forgot.  He  saw  my  astonishment,  and 
perhaps  a  certain  look  of  contempt  at  his  shabby  appearance, 
and  gave  me  a  glance,  half  surprised,  half  contemptuous,  out 
of  his  small  but  stormy  looking  eyes,  and  then  passed  on. 

'  3.  Of  the  servants  at  the  house  at  Gneixendorf  when 
Beethoven  was  there,  Michael  Krenn,  the  vine-dresser,  died 
only  a  year  ago  {i.e.,  1861).  His  three  sons  are  still  living; 
one  of  them,  also  Michael  by  name,  was  at  that  time  Ludwig's 
attendant.     Michael  gave  me  the  following  information : — 

•  Ludwig  van  Beethoven  was  once  at  Gneixendorf — namely 


BEETHOVEN   AT   GNEIXENDORF.  133 

in  tlie  year  182G,  for  three  months,  frora  harvest  to  vmtage 
—that  is,  during  August,  September,  and  October — (he  really 
stayed  till  December  2nd).  Michael  Krenn  was  chosen  by 
the  lady  of  the  house  to  be  the  servant  of  the  composer.  In 
the  first  part  of  the  time  it  was  the  duty  of  the  cook  to  make 
Beethoven's  bed  every  morning.  One  time,  when  he  was 
sitting  at  the  table,  while  she  was  thus  occupied,  he  threw 
his  hands  about,  beat  time  with  his  feet,  at  the  same  time 
singing  or  growling.  At  this  the  cook  laughed,  but 
Beethoven  looking  round  by  chance  saw  her  laughing,  and 
immediately  drove  her  out  of  the  room.  Michael  wanted  to 
run  out  too,  but  Beethoven  dragged  him  back,  gave  him 
three  zwangigers  (2s.),  told  him  not  to  be  afraid,  but  that  in 
future  he  must  make  the  bed  and  put  the  room  in  order. 
Michael  had  to  come  early  in  the  morning,  and  often  knocked 
for  a  long  time  before  he  could  gain  admittance.  Beethoven 
generally  got  up  about  5.30,  and  would  then  sit  down  at  the 
table  and  begin  to  write,  singing,  growhng,  and  beating  time 
with  both  hands  and  feet.  At  first  when  Michael  felt 
inclined  to  laugh  he  used  to  go  to  the  door,  but  by  degrees  he 
became  accustomed  to  it.  At  7.30  there  was  the  family 
breakfast,  and  after  that  Beethoven  at  once  went  into  the 
open  air.  There  he  lounged  about  in  the  fields,  cried  out, 
threw  his  hands  about,  walked  fast,  very  slow,  and  then  very 
fast,  and  then,  all  of  a  sudden,  would  stand  quite  still  and 
write  something  in  a  kind  of  pocket-book.  On  one  occasion, 
after  he  had  got  back  to  the  house,  he  found  that  he  had  lost 
his  book.  "Michael,"  said  he,  "run  and  find  my  book,  I 
must  have  it  at  any  price  " — and  it  was  found.  At  half-past 
12  he  came  in  for  dinner,  and  after  dinner  went  to  his  room 
till  about  3.  Then  he  went  into  the  fields  again  till  sunset, 
and  after  that  he  never  went  out.  At  7.30  was  supper,  and 
then  he  shut  himself  into  his  room  till  10,  when  he  went  to 
bed.  Sometimes  he  would  play  the  piano  which  was  in  the 
saloon.    No  one  went  into  Beethoven's  room  but  Michael; 


ly^  FOURTH   SYMPHONY. 

it  was  the  corner  room,  looking  into  the  garden  and  the 
court,  where  the  bilUard-room  afterwards  was. 

*  While  Beethoven  was  out  in  the  morning  was  the  time 
when  Michael  cleaned  the  room.  Several  times  he  found 
money  on  the  floor,  and  when  he  gave  it  back  to  Beethoven 
he  had  always  to  show  the  place  where  he  had  found  it, 
and  then  he  got  it  as  a  present.  This  happened  three  or 
four  times,  after  which  no  more  money  was  found.  In  the 
evenings  Michael  had  always  to  sit  with  Beethoven,  and 
write  down  answers  to  his  questions ;  and  these  generally 
were  as  to  what  had  been  said  about  him  at  dinner  and 
Bupper. 

'  One  day  Johann's  wife  sent  Michael  with  five  florins  to 
Stein  to  buy  some  wine  and  a  fish.  Michael  carelessly  lost 
the  money  and  got  back  to  Gneixendorf  after  twelve  o'clock, 
quite  bewildered.  Mrs.  Johann  asked  at  once  for  the  fish, 
and  when  she  found  that  Michael  had  lost  the  money  she 
expelled  him  from  the  house.  When  Beethoven  came  to 
dinner  he  asked  at  once  for  Michael,  and  when  he  heard  what 
had  happened  was  fearfully  angry,  gave  Mrs.  Johann  the 
five  florins,  and  insisted  furiously  that  Michael  should  at  once 
come  back.  From  this  time  he  would  never  go  to  dinner, 
but  had  both  it  and  his  breakfast  brought  to  his  own  room. 
Michael  said  that  even  before  this  occurrence  Beethoven  never 
spoke  to  his  sister-in-law,  and  very  rarely  even  to  his  brother. 
Also  that  Beethoven  wanted  to  take  him  (Michael)  to  Vienna, 
but  that  after  the  arrival  of  a  cookmaid  who  came  to  fetch 
Beethoven  away,  he  was  allowed  to  stop. 

*  4.  The  present  proprietor  of  Gneixendorf  has  been  good 
enough  to  examine  two  old  peasants  on  the  property,  and 
they  confirm  Krenn's  statements  of  Beethoven's  wonderful 
performances  in  the  fields  round  the  house.  At  first  they 
fully  beUeved  him  to  be  mad,  and  kept  out  of  his  way ;  but 
after  a  time  they  got  accustomed  to  him,  and,  knowing  that 
he  was  the  proprietor's  brother,  forced  themselves  to  salute 


BEETHOVEN   AT   GNEIXENDOBF.  185 

him ;  but  he  was  always  deep  in  thought,  and  rarely  took  any 
notice  of  their  courtesy. 

*  One  of  these  peasants,  then  quite  young,  had  a  little 
adventure  with  Beethoven  to  relate.  He  and  two  other  lads 
were  taking  a  pair  of  unbroken  oxen  to  the  brick  kiln  opposite 
the  chateau.  At  that  moment  up  came  Beethoven  crying 
out  and  gesticulating,  and  whirling  his  arms  about.  The 
peasant  called  out  •*  a  bissl  Stadal "  (not  quite  so  much  noise), 
but  without  getting  any  attention.  The  bullocks  were  shy 
and  ran  off  up  a  slope.  The  peasant  with  some  trouble 
pulled  them  up,  and  took  them  back  down  the  slope  to 
the  road.  But  very  soon  Beethoven  came  by  again  from  the 
kiln,  this  time  also  singing  and  throwing  his  hands  about. 
The  peasant  called  again  and  again,  and  at  last  off  set  the 
bullocks  with  their  tails  in  the  air  and  ran  to  the  chateau, 
where  one  of  the  family  secured  them.  When  the  peasant 
arrived  he  asked  the  name  of  "  the  fool  who  frightened  my 
bullocks,"  and  when  told  that  it  was  the  proprietor's  brother — 
**  a  precious  brother  "  was  all  his  answer.'    So  far  Dr.  Lorenz. 

The  foregoing  fragmentary  notices  seem  to  me  worth 
preserving,  not  because  they  add  one  or  two  to  the  anecdotes 
about  Beethoven,  but  because  of  the  light  they  throw  on  his 
character  and  that  of  his  brother. 

Johann's  behaviour  at  Langenlois  and  Langenfeld  gives  a 
striking  figure  of  the  want  of  respect  which  he  showed  to 
his  great  brother,  whom  he  not  impossibly  believed,  as  the 
peasants  did,  to  be  a  mere  *  fool.'  A  word  from  this 
miserable  creature  would  have  been  sufficient,  either  in  the 
house  of  the  surgeon  or  the  office  of  the  Syndicus,  to  save 
the  great  composer  from  such  humiliation.  Perhaps  the  *  land- 
owner' was  afraid  of  being  thrown  into  the  shade  by  the 
•  brain-proprietor.' 

'  The  relation  between  Beethoven  and  Michael  Krenn, 
however,  appears  to  be  of  real  interest.' 


SYMPHONY  No.  5,  in  C  minor  (Op.  67). 

Dedicated  to  the  Prince  voa  Lobkowitz  and  the  Count  von  Raaumoffsky.* 

1.  Allegro  con  brio  (<J__108).     (C  minor.) 

2.  Andante  con  moto  (^__92).     Fih  moto  (•L.116).     (A  flat.) 

3.  (Scherzo  &  Trio)  Allegro  ( J. __9 6).   (C  minor  and  major),  leading  into 
i.  Finale  Allegro  (-pi_84) ;   with  return  of  the  Trio,  and  final  PrsBto 

(c?«.112).     (C  major.) 

Score. 

2  Drums. 
2  Trumpets. 


2  Horns. 
2  Flutes. 

1  Flauto  piccolo. 

2  Oboes. 


2  Clarinets. 

2  Bassoons. 

3  Trombones. 

1st  and  2nd  Violins. 

Viola. 

Violoncellos. 


Basses  and  Contra-fagotto. 

The  Piccolo,  Trombones,  and  Contra-fagotto  are  employed  in  the 
Finale  only ;  and  make  their  appearance  here  for  the  first  time  in  the 
Symphonies.  N.B. — The  Contra-fagotto  was  first  known  to  Beethoven  in 
his  youth  at  Bonn,  where  the  Elector's  orchestra  contained  one.  He  has 
employed  it  also  in  '  Fidelio,'  in  the  Ninth  Symphony,  and  elsewhere. 

*  This  dedication  appears  on  tbe  Parts,  published  in  1809,  but  is  suppressed 
in  the  edition  of  the  Score  first  published,  in  octavo,  by  Breitkopf  and 
Hartel,  in  1826.  It  is  a  great  pity  that  the  dedications  and  the  prefaces, 
which  Beethoven  prefixed  to  some  of  his  works,  are  not  republished.  They 
often  contain  points  of  interest  which  should  not  be  lost.  Much  has  been  done 
by  Thayer,  Nottebohm,  and  others,  for  what  may  be  called  the  exterior  of 
Beethoven's  works.  But  there  is  one  thing  which  still  remains  to  be  done — 
namely,  the  Bibliography  of  the  published  editions.  Even  from  the  excellent 
Thematic  Catalogue  of  the  accurate  Nottebohm  (Breitkopf,  1868),  it  is 
impossible  to  discover  whether  the  editions  enumerated  in  the  lists  are  scores 
or  parts,  or  the  dates  at  which  they  appeared.  Anyone  who  would  undertake 
the  task— by  no  means  a  light  one— would  confer  a  great  benefit  on  all 
students  of  Beethoven. 


MENDELSSOHN  AND  GOETHE.  137 

The  score  is  an  8vo  of  182  pages,  uniform  with  the  preceding  ones, 
and  was  published  in  March,  182G.*  The  title-page  runs  thus: — 
•  Cinqui^me  Sinfonie  en  ut  mineur :  C  moll :  de  Louis  van  Beethoven. 
(Euvre  67.  Partition.  Propri6te  des  Editeurs.  Prix  3  Thalers.  A 
Leipsic,  chez  Breitkopf  &  Hartel.  4,302.  The  orchestral  parts  were 
published  by  the  same  firm  in  April,  1809,  and  are  numbered  1,329. 

We  have  now  arrived  at  the  piece  of  music  by  which 
Beethoven  is  most  widely  known. 

The  0  minor  Symphony  is  not  only  the  best  known,  and 
therefore  the  most  generally  enjoyed,  of  Beethoven's  nine 
Symphonies,  but  it  is  a  more  universal  favourite  than  any 
other  work  of  the  same  class — •  the  C  minor  Symphony  always 
fills  the  room.'  And  this  not  only  among  amateurs  who  have 
some  practical  familiarity  with  music,  but  among  the  large 
mass  of  persons  who  go  to  hear  music  pour  passer  le  temps.  It 
is  the  only  one  of  the  nine  which  is  sufficiently  well  known 
to  have  broken  the  barriers  of  a  repulsive  nomenclature, 
and  to  have  become  familiar,  outside  a  certain  more  or  less 
initiated  circle,  by  its  technical  name.  Certainly  the  number 
of  ordinary  music-goers  who  attach  as  definite  an  idea  to  the 
•C  minor'  as  they  do  to  the*  Eroica,'  the  'Pastoral,'  or  the 
'  Choral'  of  Beethoven,  is  far  greater  than  those  who  do 
so  to  his  B  flat,  his  A  major,  or  his  D  major  Symphonies. 
It  is  the  work  which  would  naturally  occur  to  anyone  who 
was  asked  to  play  or  to  name  a  characteristic  specimen  of 
Beethoven.  In  fact  it  is  that  which  Mendelssohn  chose  for 
introducing  him  to  Goethe  as  he  sat  '  in  the  dim  corner  of  his 
room  at  Weimar  like  a  Jupiter  Tonans,  with  the  fire  flashing 
from  his  aged  eyes,'  and  doubtless  not  without  a  certaiu 
reluctant  conservative  doubt,  in  his  mind,  as  to  the  worth 
of  the  revolutionary  extravagances  he  was  about  to  hear. 
However,  it  affected  him  very  much.  First,  he  said,  *  That 
causes  no   emotion,   it's   only   astonishing   and    grandiose.' 

•  So  I  learn  from  the  courtesy  of  the  publishers. 
Grove.— Beethoven's  Nine  Syinplioniea.— Novello's  Edition        H 


138  FIFTH   SYMPHONY. 

Then  he  kept  grumbling  on,  and  after  Bome  time  began 
again :  *  How  big  it  is — quite  wild !  enough  to  bring  the  house 
about  one's  ears  1  and  what  must  it  be  with  all  the  people 
playing  at  once  ? '  And  at  dinner,  in  the  middle  of  something 
else,  he  began  about  it  again.* 

If  we  ask  to  what  result  this  is  due,  the  answer  must  be,  to 
the  qualities  of  the  work  itself,  and  to  nothing  else.  It  may 
have  *  had  a  better  chance ' — in  other  words,  have  been 
oftener  performed  at  Promenade  Concerts  or  by  Philharmonic 
Societies  than  any  other ;  but  then,  what  has  given  it  that 
pre-eminence  ?  What  could  have  induced  the  late  M.  Jullien 
— the  first  to  popularise  good  orchestral  music  in  England, 
and  to  whom  the  musical  public  of  London  owes  far  more 
than  it  cares  to  remember — to  insert  this  entire  Symphony, 
week  after  week,  in  the  programme  of  his  Promenade 
Concerts  but  the  fact  that  *  it  drew,'  that  it  possessed  a  hold 
on  the  broad  appreciative  faculties  of  the  human  mind  which 
no  other  work  of  its  class  possesses  ?  It  is  to  the  work  itself, 
to  the  prodigious  originality,  force,  and  conciseness  of  the 
opening — which,  while  it  copied  nothing,  has  itself  never 
been  copied  ;  to  the  mysticism  of  the  Scherzo^  and  to  the  truly 
astonishing  grandeur,  impetuosity,  spirit,  and  pathos  of  the 
Finale,  to  the  way  in  which,  throughout  the  work,  technicality 
is  effaced  by  emotion — it  is  to  these  things  that  the  C  minor 
Symphony  owes  its  hold  on  its  audience. 

The  modern  Romantic  movement,  whether  called  so  or 
not,  seems  to  have  taken  place  earlier  in  music  than 
it  did  in  literature ;  and,  whoever  else  may  aspii-e  to  the 
honour  of  leading  it,  Beethoven  was  really  its  prophet,  and 
the  C  minor  Symphony  its  first  great  and  assured  triumph. 
The  end  of  the  Symphony  in  D,  the  Eroica,  the  No.  4,  the 
Overture  to  *  Leonora '  are  all  essays  in  the  Romantic  direction, 
animated  by  the  new  fire ;  but  the  0  minor  is  the  first  unmis- 


Letter  of  Mendelssohn's,  May  25,  1830. 


OFFICE   OF   THE    SYMPHONY.  139 

takable  appearance  of  the  goddess  herself  in  her  shining, 
heavenly  panoply.  The  C  minor  Symphony  at  once  set  the 
example,  and  made  possible  the  existence  of  the  most 
picturesque  and  poetical  music  of  Mendelssohn,  Schumann, 
Brahms,  and  Tschaikoffsky. 

This  Symphony  performed  the  same  office  for  Beethoven 
that  the  Overture  to  '  Tannhauser  '  has  done  for  Wagner ; 
it  was  the  work  which  made  him  known  to  the  general  public 
outside  his  own  country,  and  introduced  him  to  the  world.  In 
1808  Austria  was  a  foreign  country  to  Germany,  much  as 
Scotland  was  to  England  a  century  earlier,  and  the  Vienna 
school  of  music  had  a  strong  character  of  its  own.  But, 
fortunately,  there  were  musicians  in  Germany  at  the  head  of 
affairs  who  knew  how  to  welcome  merit  from  wherever  it  came. 
We  have  seen*  the  wise  and  intelligent  greeting  which  Leipzig 
gave  to  the  Eroica  in  1809.  And  as  they  acted  towards  that 
masterpiece,  so  did  the  conductors  of  the  Allgemeine  musika- 
Usche  Zeitung — the  '  General  Musical  Times '  of  the  same  city, 
the  great  musical  periodical  of  the  day — towards  the  C  minor 
Symphony.  They  went  out  of  their  w^ay  to  introduce  the  new 
work  to  their  countrymen  by  a  long,  forcible,  and  effective 
article  fi*om  the  pen  of  Hoffmann,  July  11,  1810  ;  no  mere  cold 
analysis  hke  that  which  had  saluted  the  Eroica,  but  a  burning 
welcome,  full  of  admiration,  respect,  and  sympathy,  and 
apparently  written  with  the  f  concurrence  of  the  composer 
himself.  And  from  that  time,  in  London,  in  Paris,  everywhere 
else,  the  C  minor  Symphony  has  been  the  harbinger  of  the 
Beethoven  religion.  It  introduced  a  new  physiognomy  into 
the  world  of  music.     It  astonished,  it  puzzled,  it  even  aroused 

*  See  page  91. 

t  This  is  to  be  inferred  from  the  fact  that  the  two  redundant  bars  in  the 
Scherzo,  against  which  Beethoven  protested  in  1810  (see  p.  174),  but  which  were 
not  corrected  till  1846,  are  omitted  in  the  quotations  in  HoflFmann's  article.  It 
is  probably  for  this  Hoffmann  that  Beethoven  wrote  his  punning  canou 
Auf  einen  welcher  Hoffmann  geheissen,  '  Hoffmann,  Hoffmann,  sei  ja  kein 
Hoffmann,'  or  as  it  might  be  rendered,  '  Harcourt,  Harcourt,  be  no  courtier  I' 


140  FIFTH   SYMPHONY. 

laughter ;  but  it  could  not  be  put  down,  and  in  time  it  sub- 
dued its  listeners,  and  led  the  way  for  the  others  of  the 
immortal  Nine,  and  all  which  were  to  follow  them. 

The  C  minor  Symphony  is  the  fifth  of  the  series.  It  was 
intended  to  follow  the  Eroica,  and  was  begun  in  the  year  1805.* 
But  even  in  the  case  of  such  a  Titan  as  Beethoven,  Vhomme 
propose  et  Dieu  dispose.  His  engagement  with  the  Countess 
Theresa  Brunswick, in  May,  1806,  intervened,  and  inspired  the 
record  of  that  lovely  time  which  is  given  in  the  B  flat  Sym- 
phony ;  and  the  C  minor  had  to  wait  until  that  was  completed. 

The  actual  dates  of  the  composition  of  the  work  seem  to 
be  as  follows :  It  was  started  in  1805  ;  in  1806  it  was  laid 
aside  for  the  B  flat — the  paean  on  the  engagement ;  it  was 
then  resumed  and  completed  in  1807  or  early  in  1808.  It 
thus  covered  the  time  before  the  engagement,  the  engagement 
itself,  and  a  part  of  the  period  of  agitation  when  the  lovers 
were  separated,  and  which  ended  in  their  final  surrender. 
Now,  considering  the  extraordinarily  imaginative  and  disturbed 
character  of  the  Symphony,  it  is  impossible  not  to  believe  that 
the  work — the  first  movement  at  any  rate — is  based  on  his 
relations  to  the  Countess,  and  is  more  or  less  a  picture  of 
their  personality  and  connection.  In  the  Pastoral  Symphony 
Beethoven  has  shown  that  he  could  put  all  disturbing  elements 
out  of  his  mind,  and  take  refuge  in  the  calm  of  Nature ;  but 
in  composing  a  work  the  character  of  which  is  agitation, 
almost  from  first  to  last,  it  is  difficult  to  believe  that  he  could 
keep  clear  of  that  which  must  have  filled  his  mind  on  the  least 
invitation.  In  fact,  the  first  movement  seems  to  contain 
actual  portraits  of  the  two  chief  actors  in  the  drama.  Bead 
the  story  of  the  music-lesson,  given  in  the  Countess's  own 
words,  at  page  25  of  the  Unsterbliche  Gcliebte,  and  the  two 
subjects  of  the  movement  seem  to  stand  before  us  (see  page  155). 

*  It  was  at  one  time  thought  that  some  of  the  themes  and  passages  aated  as 
far  back  as  1800.  But  this  seems  not  to  be  the  case.— See  Thayer,  Q^ron. 
Verzeichniss,  p.  75  ;  and  Nottebohm,  Beethoveniana,  p.  16, 


FIRST   SKETCHES. 


141 


Whether  these  suggestions  are  allowable  or  not  it  was 
ordained  that  the  C  minor  should  be  somewhat  postponed,  and 
with  the  Pastoral  Symphony  should  form  a  pair,  completed 
at  the  latest  in  *1808,  and  pubHshed  in  1809,  after  some 
vacillation,  as  Nos.  5  and  6.  The  first  performance  took  place 
at  Vienna,  December  22,  1808  ;  the  first  performance  in 
England  was  by  the  Philharmonic  Society,  April  15,  1816. 
At  Paris  it  seems  to  have  been  first  heard  at  the  third  of 
the  Concerts  du  Conservatoire,  on  April  18,  1828,  under  M. 
Habeneck ;  but  it  was  played  at  each  of  the  remaining 
concerts  of  that  season — four  times  in  all.  Since  then  it  has 
been  performed  more  f  frequently  than  any  other  of  the  series. 

The  earliest  sketches  of  the  work  are  in  a  collection  of 
sheets  which  also  contain  sketches  for  the  G  major  Piano- 
forte Concerto,  and  appear  to  have  been  in  the  possession  of 
Herr  Petter  of  Vienna.  The  opening  is  probably  the  most 
famous  theme  in  the  world,  and  Beethoven's  first  memo- 
randum of  it  is  textually  as  follows.  The  theme  is  merely 
the  four  notes  :  but  here  J  we  have  the  manner  in  which 
Beethoven  first  proposed  to  develop  them  : — 


No.  1.         ^_^                               , 

-m^ 

...iTjJ^ 

yiW^ 

1 

'C^ 

1-n ^: 

^ftJ-J  J. 4.  -^i* 

=l-i=P^  5?  ^f=*=f=  ^*— M^ 

— 1 i tJ — 1— 1 — 1 — M 1 1 — 

&o. 

1 1 \ 1 — \ 1 

"2?-                         -2?-                         -27- 

*  See  Nottebohm,  Zweite  Beethoveniana,  p.  532. 

t  In  fifty-five  years  the  Philharmonic  Society  performed  it  fifty-five  times, 
missing  one  year  (1819),  and  in  1818  giving  it  twice. 
X  Nottebohm,  Beethoveniana,  p.  10. 


142  FIFTH   SYMPHONY. 

A  second  sketch  on  the  same  page  stands  thug- 


No.  2. 


Sinfonia.  Alio.  Imo. 


9Al      1    .    ,|— =z i    .-,--■-.  1 T— 1 

rr-^T"^— rp^-T-T 

presto 

.w_^f» 2 \ ^ ^  \   '^    \ 

J p — p — ^  ^"^  i 

-i»^*?2; 


^=te=^^^^^F=tF=4 


^;;^a: 


On  the  opposite  page  of  the  sketch-book  are  sketches  for 
the  G  major  Piano  Concerto,  showing  that,  widely  different 
as  the  two  works  are,  the  rhythm  of  the  subject  is  the  same 
in  each — 


No.  3. 


Concert,    (tempo  moderato) 


-'-  &o. 


Cembalo. 


The  C  minor  Symphony  is  often  spoken  of  as  if  it  were  a 
miracle  of  irregularity,  and  almost  as  if  in  composing  it 
Beethoven  had  abandoned  the  ordinary  rules  which  regulate 
the  construction  of  a  piece  of  music,  put  down  whatever 
came  uppermost  in  his  mind,  and  by  the  innate  force  of 
genius  produced  a  masterpiece  which  seized  the  world  with 
admiration,  and  has  kept  it  in  astonishment  ever  since.  Even 
M.  Berlioz  speaks  of  it  in  torms  which  might  easily  be  thus 


THE  LAWS  OF  THE  SYMPHONY.  143 

interpreted.  M.  F^tis  goes  farther,  and  characterises  Bee- 
thoven's style  as  a  kind  of  improvisation,  rather  than 
composition ;  meaning  thereby,  apparently,  some  wild  lawless 
mode  of  proceeding,  which,  because  he  was  a  transcendent 
genius,  happened  to  come  out  all  right : — 

Like  some  wild  Poet,  when  he  works 
Without  a  conscience  or  an  aim. 

Such  ideas  are  simply  contrary  to  facts,  and  are  as  false 
as  Voltaire's  famous  dictum  on  Shakespeare  ;  as  absurdly 
inaccurate  as  Fetis's  other  assertion  *  qu'il  n'ecrivait  jamais 
une  note  avant  que  le  morceau  fut  acheve.'  Whatever  he  was 
in  improvisation  at  the  pianoforte,  Beethoven  with  the  pen  in 
his  hand  was  the  most  curiously  tentative  and  hesitating  of 
men.  Those  who  know  his  sketch-books  tell  us  that  he  never 
adopted  his  first  ideas ;  that  it  is  common  to  find  a  theme  or 
a  passage  altered  and  re-written  a  dozen  or  twenty  times ;  that 
those  pieces  which  appear  to  us  the  most  spontaneous  have  been 
in  reality  most  laboured ;  that  the  composition  gi'ew  under  his 
hand  and  developed  in  unintended  directions  as  it  did  perhaps 
with  no  other  composer ;  and  that  it  almost  appears  that  he 
did  not  know  what  the  whole  would  be  until  the  very  last 
corrections  had  been  given  to  the  proof-sheets.  So  much  for 
the  idea  of  sudden  inspiration.  As  for  that  of  irregularity,  it 
may  surprise  the  reader  to  hear  that  the  C  minor  Symphony 
is  from  beginning  to  end  as  strictly  in  accordance  with  the 
rules  which  govern  the  structure  of  ordinary  musical  com- 
positions as  any  Symphony  or  Sonata  of  Haydn  or  Pleyel, 
while  it  is  more  than  usually  symmetrical.  These  '  rules  ' 
are  nothing  arbitrary.  They  are  no  dicta  or  Jiat  of  any 
single  autocrat,  which  can  be  set  at  naught  by  a  genius 
greater  than  that  of  him  who  ordained  them.  They  are 
the  gradual  results  of  the  long  progress  of  music,  from 
the  rudest  Volkslieder,  from  the  earliest  compositions  of 
Josquin  des  Pr^s  and  Palestrina — gradually  developing  and 


144  FIFTH   SYMPHONY. 

asserting  themselves  as  music  increased  in  freedom  and  as 
new  occasions  arose,  as  instruments  took  the  place  of 
voices,  as  music  strayed  outside  the  Church  and  allied 
itself  to  the  world;  but  as  absolute,  and  rigorous,  and 
imperative  as  the  laws  which  govern  the  production  of  an 
oak  or  an  elm,  and  permit  such  infinite  variety  of  appear- 
ance in  their  splendid  and  beautiful  forms.  In  fact,  they 
are  not  rules  but  laws,  and  it  is  only  an  unfortunate  accident 
that  has  forced  the  smaller  term  upon  us  instead  of  the 
greater.* 

The  first  movement  of  Beethoven's  C  minor  Symphony  is 
framed  as  exactly  on  these  laws  as  is  the  first  movement  of 
his  C  major  Symphony  (No.  1) — as  the  Trios  and  Sonatas 
with  which  he  started  on  his  career  before  the  public.  To 
give  an  outline  of  the  construction  of  the  first  movement. 
Its  structure — in  musical  language,  its  *  form  ' — is  as  follows. 
The  opening  subject  is  in  the  key  of  C  minor,  and  is 
quickly  answered  by  a  second,  in  the  key  of  E  flat,  the  *  relative 
major,'  in  which  key  the  first  section  of  the  movement  ends. 
That  section  having  been  repeated,  we  go  on  to  the  working- 
out,  by  no  means  long,  and  confined  for  its  construction 
almost  entirely  to  materials  already  furnished.  Then  comes 
the  reprise  of  the  opening,  with  the  usual  changes  of  key,  a 
short  Coda,  and  the  movement  is  at  an  end !  These  sections 
are  all,  with  a  rare  uniformity,  almost  exactly  of  the  same 
length :  to  the  double  bar,  124  bars  ;  the  working-out,  123 ; 

*  Coleridge's  words  on  tlie  subject  of  the  criticism  of  Shakespeare  are  full  of 
instruction  on  this  point,  and  very  applicable  to  Beethoven  :  '  In  nine  places 
out  of  ten  in  which  I  find  his  awful  name  mentioned,  it  is  with  some 
epithet  of  "  wild,"  "  irregular,"  "  pure  child  of  nature,"  etc.  .  .  .  The  true 
ground  of  the  mistake  lies  in  the  confounding  mechanical  regularity  with 
organic  form.  The  form  is  mechanic  when  on  any  given  material  we  impress 
a  predetermined  form,  not  necessarily  arising  out  of  the  properties  of  the 
material.  .  .  .  The  organic  form,  on  the  other  hand,  is  innate  ;  it  shapes,  as  it 
developes,  itself  from  within,  and  the  fulness  of  its  development  is  one  and 
the  same  with  the  perfection  of  its  outward  form.'— Literary  Remains  (183G) 

Vol.  iL,  pp.  61,  a. 


OBEDIENCE   TO   LAW.      DmECT   TREATMENT.  145 

the  reprise,  126  ;  and  the  Coda,  129.  In  fact,  the  movement 
is  much  stricter  in  its  form  than  that  of  the  Eroica,  which 
has  two  important  episodes,  entirely  extraneous,  in  the 
working-out,  while  its  reprise  is  by  no  means  an  exact 
repetition  of  what  has  gone  before.  If  all  art  is  a  representa- 
tion— and  surely  it  must  be  a  representation  of  the  idea  in  the 
mind  of  the  artist — here  we  have  the  most  concise  representa- 
tion that  has  ever  been  accomplished  in  music.  No,  it  is  no 
disobedience  to  laws  that  makes  the  C  minor  Symphony  so 
great  and  unusual — no  irregularity  or  improvisation;  it  is 
obedience  to  law,  it  is  the  striking  and  original  nature  of  the 
thoughts,  the  direct  manner  in  which  they  are  expressed,  and 
the  extraordinary  energy  with  which  they  are  enforced  and 
reinforced,  and  driven  into  the  hearer,  hot  from  the  mind  of 
the  author,  with  an  incandescence  which  is  still  as  bright  and 
as  scorching  as  the  day  they  were  forged  on  his  anvil — it  is 
these  things  that  make  the  C  minor  Symphony  what  it  is  and 
Always  will  be.  It  is  impossible  to  believe  that  it  will  ever 
grow  old. 

We  are  speaking  here  of  the  opening  movement,  which  in 
almost  every  Symphony,  and  especially  in  this  one,  is  the 
portion  which  colours  and  characterises  the  whole  work.  It 
is  not  perhaps,  if  an  amateur  may  record  his  impression,  that 
this  Allegro  is  more  impassioned  or  fuller  of  emotion  than 
those  of  the  other  Symphonies  of  the  series,  but  that  the 
emotion  is  more  directly  conveyed.  The  expression  reaches 
the  mind  in  a  more  immediate  manner,  with  less  of  the 
medium  or  machinery  of  music  about  it  than  in  those  great 
works ;  the  figure  has  less  drapery  and  the  physiognomy  is 
terribly  distinct.  We  have  here  no  prominent  counterpoint 
or  contrivance,  not  even  the  fugato  which  was  so  dear  to 
Beethoven  ;  but  there  is  the  most  powerful  emotion,  and 
everything  else  is  subordinated  to  that.  Not  that  there  is  less 
of  the  musician  in  the  piece  ;  on  the  contrary,  so  to  make  the 
medium  disappear,  so  to  efface  it  before  the  thought  conveyed, 


146    * 


FIFTH   SYMPHONY. 


requires  the  greatest*  musiciansliip.  And  accordingly,  here, 
in  this  movement,  perhaps  more  than  in  any  other,  doea 
Beethoven  show  his  relationship  to  Handel ;  he,  as  was  said 
of  Handel,  '  knows  how  to  draw  blood.' 

We  have  quoted  the  subject  as  it  first  came  into  Beethoven's 
mind.  "We  now  give  it  in  its  finished  form — a  form  which,  to 
judge  from  other  cases  where  the  intermediate  steps  have 
been  preserved,  must  have  been  the  tardy  fruit  of  many 
attempts  and  many  erasures.  The  two  forms  have  hardly 
anything  in  common  but  the  rhythm — 


No.  4. 


Allegro  con  brio 


The  phrase,  as  it  now  stands,  with  its  sudden  start,  and  the 
roar  of  its  long  holding  notes,  t  strikes  like  thunder.  It  would 
be  sublime  if  there  were  not  too  much  conflict  in  it,  and  if  it 
contained  the  religious |  element.  Beethoven  §said  of  it,  *  So 
pocht  das  Schicksal  an  die  Pforte  ' — *  such  is  the  blow  of 
Fate  on  the  door ' — but  indeed  no  expression  is  too  strong 
for  the  effect  of  this  sudden  attack.  Wagner,  in  a  well-known 
passage  in  his  work  on  Conducting  (Ueher  das  Dirigiren, 
p.  25),  thus  speaks  of  it,  if  a  paraphrase  of  his  words  may 
be  allowed  : — 

*  The  pause  on  the  E  flat,'  says  he,  is  usually  discontinued 
after  a  short  time,  and  as  a  rule  is  not  held  longer  than  a  forte 


*  Thus  in  '  Tears,  idle  tears,'  in  the  *  Princess,'  so  sweet  is  the  melody,  and 
80  delicious  the  combination  of  the  sounds,  that  one  is  not  aware  of  the 
absence  of  rhyme,  till  after  an  intimate  acquaintance  with  the  poem. 

t  The  second  holding  note  in  the  autograph  is  one  bar ;  but  in  the  first 
publication  lengthened  to  two.     Perhaps  some  editor  will  change  it  back. 

\  '  Sublimity,'  says  Coleridge,  '  is  Hebrew  by  birth ' ;  and  sublimity  in  musio 
seems  to  be  almost  confined  to  Handel's  settings  of  Scripture  words. 

§Schindler,  i..  158. 


WAGNER   ON   THE   FIRST   SUBJECT.  147 

produced  by  a  casual  bow- stroke  might  be  expected  to  last. 
But  suppose  we  could  hear  Beethoven  calling  from  his  grave  to 
the  conductor,  would  he  not  say  something  like  the  follow- 
ing : — My  pauses  must  be  long  and  serious  ones.  Do  you 
think  I  made  them  in  sport,  or  because  I  did  not  know 
what  to  say  next  ?  Certainly  not  I  That  full,  exhausting 
tone,  which  in  my  Adagios  expresses  unappeasable  emotion,  in 
a  fiery  and  rapid  Allegro  becomes  a  rapturous  and  terrible 
spasm.  The  hfe-blood  of  the  note  must  be  squeezed  out  of  it 
to  the  last  drop,  with  force  enough  to  arrest  the  waves  of  the 
sea,  and  lay  bare  the  ground  of  ocean ;  to  stop  the  clouds  in 
their  courses,  dispel  the  mists,  and  reveal  the  pure  blue  sky, 
and  the  burning  face  of  the  sun  himself.  This  is  the  meaning 
of  the  sudden  long- sustained  notes  in  my  Allegros.  Ponder 
them  here  on  the  first  announcement  of  the  theme ;  hold  the 
long  E  flats  firmly  after  the  three  short  tempestuous  quavers  ; 
and  learn  what  the  same  thing  means  when  it  occurs  later  in 
the  work.' 

The  first  phrase  is  said  to  have  been  suggested  to  Beethoven 
by  the  note  of  the  yellow-hammer  as  he  walked  in  the  Prater 
or  park  at  Vienna  ;  and  it  agrees  with  the  song  of  the  bird, 
if  not  in  the  interval,  in  the  quick  notes  being  succeeded 
by  the  longer  one.  If  Czerny  is  to  be  believed,  *Beethoven 
not  only  avowed  that  he  had  derived  the  theme  as  described, 
but  was  accustomed  often  to  extemporize  upon  it.  That 
subjects  were  suggested  to  Beethoven  by  the  most  casual 
accidents  is  undoubtedly  true.  That  of  the  Scherzo  of  the 
Ninth  Symphony  is  said  to  have  flashed  into  his  mind  on 
stepping  out  of  the  house  into  a  bright  starlight  night.  The 
splendid  Sonata,  Op.  81a,  took  its  rise  from  the  mere 
departure  and  return  home  of  the  Archduke  Rudolph.  The 
four  crotchets  which  animate  the  first  movement  of  the 
great  Violin  Concerto  are  said  to  have  been  suggested  by  a 

*  Thayer,  Biography,  ii.,  261. 


148  FIFTH  SYMPHONY. 

man  persistently  knocking  in  that  rhythm  at  a  door  in  tlie 
dead  of  the  night.  So  an  immortal  poem  was  suggested  to 
Wordsworth  by  the  sight  of  a  mass  of  daffodils  moving  in  the 
breeze.  If  the  subject  had  its  origin  in  the  notes  of  the 
yellow-hammer,  it  adds  another  to  the  curious  difficulties" 
there  are  in  ascertaining  the  degree  of  Beethoven's  deaf- 
ness ;  for  the  shrill  song  of  a  small  bird  is  one  of  the 
first  things  that  escapes  one  in  the  process  of  losing  one'g 
hearing. 

The  0  minor  Symphony,  though  now  known  and  fixed  as 
No.  5,  was  not  always  so.  In  the  programme  of  the  first 
concert  at  which  it  was  performed — December  22,  1808,  in 
the  Vienna  Theatre — it  was  not  only  preceded  by  the  Pastoral 
Symphony,  but  was  given  as  No.  6  ;  while  the  Pastoral — now 
No.  6 — was  designated  as  No.  5.  And  the  same  thing  was 
done  in  Vienna  as  late  as  1813.*  The  two  were  composed 
or  completed  together,  during  the  summer  of  1808 — as 
the  two  later  and  almost  greater  twins,  Nos.  7  and  8, 
were  in  that  of  1813,  and  as  the  third  pair  would  have 
been  in  1817  had  they  ever  come  to  the  birth — had 
Beethoven's  offer  to  Eies  for  the  Philharmonic  Society  been 
carried  out.  But  there  is  no  doubt  that  the  C  minor  has  the 
priority  of  the  two.  True,  the  autograph  manuscript,  once 
the  property,  like  so  many  of  Beethoven's  finest  autographs, 
of  Felix  Mendelssohn,  and  now  safely  laid  up  in  the  old 
banking-house  in  Berlin,  bears  neither  date  nor  number,  and 
has  simply  the  words — 

'  Sinfonie        da  L.   v.   Beethoven  * 

scrawled  on  it  in  red  chalk.  But  that  of  the  Pastoral 
Symphony  is  numbered  6th  both  in  Italian  and  German,  in 
Beethoven's  own  hand.  And  the  score  and  parts  of  each, 
the  latter  pubHshed  in  April,  1809,  are  numbered  as  we  are 
accustomed  to  know  them. 

•  Hanslick,  Geschichte  des  Concertwesen  in  Wien.     Also  page  190. 


OPENING   ALLEGRO. 


149 


The  two  were  brought  out  together,  and  each  is  jointly 
dedicated  to  Prince  Lobkowitz  and  Count  Rasumoffsky, 
noblemen  who  held  a  high  place  among  Beethoven's  patrons. 
The  Prince's  name  appears  on  the  title-page  of  the  Eroica 
Symphony,  of  the  first  six  String  Quartets,  and  of  the  Quartet 
in  E  flat  (Op.  74) ;  while  the  Count  enjoys  a  safe  eternity 
in  the  three  immortal  works  which  will  be  known  as  the 
*  Rasumoffsky  Quartets '  as  long  as  there  are  four  artists  in 
the  world  capable  of  playing  them. 

Every  tiny  fact  is  of  interest  about  these  immortal  works, 
and  we  will  therefore  mention  that  in  the  ^All°-  con  Brio,* 
which  heads  the  first  movement  on  the  autograph,  a  word, 
possibly  molto,  has  been  scratched  out  after  All"-,  and  con  Brie 
put  in  with  a  different  pen  and  different  ink.  Brio  is  a  good  word, 
but  it  seems  almost  to  have  vanished  after  Beethoven's  time. 

So,  then,  begins  this  tremendous  composition.  The  first 
fifty-eight  bars  of  the  work  do  little  more  than  repeat  and 
repeat  the  astonishing  phrase,  both  in  its  interval  and  its 
rhythm,  as  in  these  passages — 


No.  5. 


150 


riPTH  SYMrnoNT. 


Of  modulation  there  is  hardly  any,  the  key  does  not  change 
till  the  end  of  the  passage,  and  then  (bar  59)  both  mood  and 
key  suddenly  alter,  the  key  after  a  little  hesitation  to  E  flat, 
the  mood  to  a  winning  pathos,  and  after  a  loud  preface  by 
the  horns,  as  if  to  emphasise  the  change  as  much  as 
possible,  the  second  subject  enters  in  the  voice  of  the  violins, 
like  the  sweet  protest  of  a  woman  against  the  fury  of  her 
oppressor — 


Basses  8va  p 


Flute  8va  &  Viol.                       ^.^^ 

-'-J  |J-;i 

F^^ 

|J*|^-J-^ 

ZP^i 

r-l i 

'r^ — ^ 

f^'- 

rf-^-i 

H — h- 

-^^r^ 

^  ^  ^ 

1 

=^-- 

S^ 

T 

r-^ 

:&=: 


-r  ,  *  I  b^ 


s 


fl«=^ 


^ZLT 


>f 


f 


The  recurrence  of  the  quavers  in  the  accompaniment  keeps 
the  rhythm  of  the  first  subject  present,  but  the  music 
practically  remains  in  E  flat  to  the  very  end  of  the  first 
section,  124  bars,  and  the  fortissimo  passages  which  occur 
have  nothing  of  the  savage  character  of  their  predecessors. 

With  the  first  note  of  the  working-out,  however,  the  first 
theme  returns  and  resumes  all,  and  more  than  all,  the  fury 
that  before  distinguished  it  and  seems  inherent  in  its  com- 
position. The  gentle  second  theme  has  no  place  in  this 
terrible  display  of  emotion,  which  starts  thus — 


No.  8.  Wind  ^ 


CI.  p 


Y.l.P 


Strings  ff 


TI/E   FIRST   ALLEGRO. 


Clar, 


V.  1. 


'■m. 


151 


■-gg^j.     j??2 


and  the  hoarer  will  notice  the  firmness  expressed  by  the 
D  flat  in  the  eighth  and  following  bars.  The  concluding 
portion  of  the  quotation  is  a  new  phrase,  the  only  material 
as  yet  exhibited  which  is  independent  of  either  the  first  or 
second  subjects.  This  phrase  is  in  double  counterpoint — that 
is  to  say,  it  is  immediately  repeated  with  the  positions  of  treble 
and  bass  reversed — 


No.  9.                                                     ^^„^~ 

r- 

f^^r^ — I'r       ife^ 

p-k fr  =i^^^^ 

"t- 

1^  ^-^-^r-p-4— ^ 

_Tt}^ — ts — 

—■^F 

the  rising  scale  of  the  new  phrase  combining  with  the 
descending  scale  of  the  new  one  to  form  a  very  affecting 
cadence. 

Short  as  it  is — and  it  is  astonishingly  short — the  working- 
out  is  most  dramatic  ;  a  tremendous  tragedy  is  crowded  into 
its  few  pages.  *  Fate  is  knocking  at  the  door,'  as  Beethoven 
is  reported  to  have  said  of  the  first  theme,  and  does  not  enter 
the  house  without  a  fearful  combat.  Was  it  the  Fate  which 
at  that  early  time  he  saw  advancing  to  prevent  his  union 
with  his  Theresa  ? — to  prevent  his  union  with  any  woman  ? 
At  any  rate,  in  this  movement  he  unbosoms  himself  as  he 


152 


FIFTH   SYMrnONY. 


Las  never  done  before.  Here,  in  Berlioz's*  language,  be 
Las  revealed  all  the  secrets  of  his  being — *  his  most  private 
griefs,  his  fiercest  wrath,  his  most  lonely  and  desolate 
meditations,  his  midnight  visions,  his  bursts  of  enthusiasm  * 
—all  these  are  there,  and  all  winged  by  the  ardour  and 
anxiety  of  his  newly  acquired  love.  We  hear  the  pal- 
pitating accents  and  almost  the  incoherence  of  the  famous 
love-letters,t  but  mixed  with  an  amount  of  fury  which 
is  not  present  in  them,  and  which  may  well  have  been 
inspired  by  the  advent  of  some  material  difficulties,  or  by  the 
approaching  fear  that  the  engagement  so  passionately  begun 
could  not  be  realised.  A  passage  full  of  terrors,  in  the  very 
midst  of  the  working-out,  which  will  be  recognised  by  the 
following  skeleton  of  its  contents — 


No.  10. 


forms  the  climax  of  this  struggle.  On  it  follows  a 
passage  founded  on  the  fourth  and  fifth  bars  of  quotation 
No.  5— 


»  Vcryage  Musical  (1844),  Vol.  I.,  p.  300. 
t  Given  in  full  at  pp.  128-130. 


THE   FIRST   ALLEGRO. 


153 


No.  II. 


Btrings 


J'  Wind 


-fe: 


^M,     , 


Btr.     ^%V''    Str. 


Wind  -       '     W^°^  ^■ 


fcz=F& 


-^ 


Wind 


bd  I : 


^^ 


Wind 


&o 


^ 


dim. 

alternately  given  by  strings  and  wind,  and  at  length  failing 
as  if  through  exhaustion.  Then,  with  the  rapid  action  of  the 
mind,  it  revives  in  fury,  to  sink  again,  and  to  revive  once 
more.  After  this  singularly  dramatic  passage,  Beethoven 
returns  to  the  first  subject,  and  the  working-out  ends  by 
eight  bars  in  the  rhythm  of  the  opening,  the  recapitulation 
of  the  first  section  of  all  being  then  taken  up  without  a 
moment's  hesitation.  Not,  however,  a  mere  repetition ;  for 
though  the  general  lines  are  exactly  followed,  the  instru- 
mental treatment  is  occasionally  altered.  One  change,  though 
all  will  notice  it,  must  be  specially  alluded  to,  as  an  instance 
of  the  extraordinary  poetry  and  refinement  which  were  always 
in  wait  to  show  themselves  even  in  Beethoven's  sternest 
moods.  I  allude  to  the  pathetic  unbarred  phrase  for  the  oboe 
solo — 


No.  12. 


Oboe  1.  Adagio 


a  beautiful  blossom,  springing  out  as  it  were  from  the  bud  of 
the  pause  which  occurred  at  bar  twenty-one  of  the  first  section, 

Grove.— Beethoven's  Nine  Symphonies.— Novello's  Edition.       L 


154 


FIFTH   SYMPHONY. 


and  like  a  flower  of  gentian  spreading  its  petals  on  the  edge 
of  the  glacier.*  At  the  end  of  the  recapitulation  there  is  a  burst 
into  0  major,  which  forms  a  fine  beginning  to  a  triumphant 
and  dramatic  Coda.  The  only  passage  which  need  be  quoted 
in  the  Coda  is  the  new  theme  which  is  introduced — 


No.  13. 


P 


r^F^f^TF^ 


iM£^ 


fe^ 


s-  ^  bi.  . 


^ 


-r~r 


^^ 


and  which,  both  in  itself  and  in  its  development,  forms  a  very 
striking  feature. 

The  following  passage  from  Beethoven's  unsterbliche  Geliebtef 
page  25,  the  work  already  alluded  to  in  connection  with 
the  preceding  Symphony,  seems,  as  already  hinted,  to  throw 
a  direct  light  on  the  movement.  The  story  is  told  by  the 
chief  sufferer  herself. 

*  One  fearful  winter's  day  in  Vienna,  in  1794,  the  snow 
standing  deep  and  still  falling  fast,  and  traffic  almost  entirely 
suspended  in  the  streets,  Countess  Theresa  Brunswick, 
then  a  girl  of  fifteen,  was  waiting  for  Beethoven's  arrival, 
to  give  her  her  pianoforte  lesson.  Weather  never  stopped 
him;  but  when  he  appeared  it  was  obvious  that  as  great  a 
storm  was  raging  in  his  mind  as  in  the  streets.  He  entered 
with  hardly  a  motion  of  his  head,  and  she  saw  at  once  that 
all  was  wrong. 

*  Practised  the  Sonata  ? '  said  he,  without  looking.  His 
hair  stood  more  upright  than  ever ;  his  splendid  eyes  were 
half  closed,  and  his  mouth — oh,  how  wicked  it  looked  I 
In  reply  to  his  question,  she  stammered  out  'Yes,  I  have 
practised  it  a  great  deal,  but — ' 

*  A  similar  development  occurs  at  the  return  to  the  subject  after  the 
wcfiting-out,  in  the  first  movement  of  the  Pastoral  Symphony  (see  page  198). 


BEETHOVEN  AND  THE  COUNTESS  THERESA.     155 

*  Let's  see.'  She  sat  down  to  the  piano  and  he  took  his 
stand  behind  her.  The  thought  passed  through  her  mind, 
'  If  I  am  only  fortunate  enough  to  play  well ! '  But  the  notes 
swam  before  her  eyes,  and  her  hands  were  all  of  a  tremble. 
She  began  in  a  hurry  :  once  or  twice  he  said  '  Tempo j'  but  it 
made  no  difference,  and  she  could  not  help  feeling  that  he 
was  getting  more  impatient  as  she  became  more  helpless.  At 
last  she  struck  a  wi-ong  note.  She  knew  it  at  once,  and  could 
have  cried.  But  then  the  teacher  himself  struck  a  wrong  note, 
which  hurt  his  pupil  both  in  body  and  mind.  He  struck — 
not  the  keys,  but  her  hand,  and  that  angrily  and  hard  ; 
strode  like  mad  to  the  door  of  the  room,  and  from  thence 
to  the  street-door,  through  which  he  went,  banging  it  after 
him. 

*  Good  God,'  she  cried,  '  he's  gone  without  his  coat 
and  hat,'  and  rushed  after  him  with  them  into  the  street. 
Her  voice  brought  in  the  mother  from  her  boudoir,  curious  to 
see  the  reason  of  the  noise.  But  the  room  was  empty,  and 
both  its  door  and  the  street-door  stood  open ;  and  the  servants, 
where  were  they  ?  Everything  now  had  to  give  way  to  the 
shocking  certainty  that  her  daughter.  Countess  Theresa  von 
Brunswick,  had  actually  run  out  into  the  street  after  the 
musician,  with  his  coat,  hat,  and  stick  !  Fortunately  she  was 
not  more  than  a  few  steps  from  the  door  when  the  frightened 
servant  overtook  her,  Beethoven  meanwhile  standing  at  a 
distance  waiting  for  his  things,  which  he  took  from  the  man 
and  went  off  without  a  sign  of  recognition  to  his  pupil.' 

Are  not  these  two  characters  exactly  expressed  in  the 
above,  the  one  by 


the  other  by  S^^-r-r-^  f  |  T  ^\^^ 


p  dolce  "*" 

It  surely  would  be  impossible  to  convey  them  in  music  more 
perfectly — the  fierce  imperious  composer,  who  knew  how  t-Q 


156  FIFTH   SYMPHONY. 

'  put  his  foot  down,'  if  the  phrase  may  be  allowed,  and  the 
^Y0lnanly,  yielding,  devoted  girl. 

This  was  in  1794.  The  Countess  became  more  and  more 
intimate  with  Beethoven,  and  at  last,  in  May,  1806,  with  the 
knowledge  and  consent  of  her  brother  Franz,  the  head  of  the 
house,  she  and  he  were  formally,  though  secretly,  engaged. 
Honourable  matrimony — and  that  with  a  woman  of  position 
and  character — was  always  Beethoven's  fixed  desire.  For 
any  irregular  attachment  he  had  neither  taste  nor  inclination. 
'  0  God,'  says  he,  in  one  of  those  passionate  entries  in  his 
diary,  '  let  me  at  last  find  her  who  is  destined  to  be  mine, 
and  who  shall  strengthen  me  in  virtue.'  The  engagement 
appears  to  have  taken  place  at  Martonvasar,  the  Count's 
castle,  south  of  Buda-Pesth.  Beethoven  shortly  after  left  for 
Fiired,  a  watering-place  on  the  north  shore  of  the  Plattensee, 
in  Hungary,  from  whence  he  penned  the  famous  love-letters 
which  were  afterwards  returned  to  him  by  the  Countess  on 
the  termination  of  the  engagement.  It  lasted  with  many 
fluctuations  for  four  years  and  was  put  an  end  to  by  Beethoven 
himself  in  1810.     There  could  be  no  other  result. 

The  Countess  was  surely  right  in  saying  (see  p.  64  of  the 
little  book),  '  It  was  a  wise  step  for  us  to  part.  What  would 
have  been  the  result  to  his  genius,  and  what  to  my  love,  if  I 
had  ever  been  forced  to  be  afraid  of  him  ?  '  These  letters  are 
reprinted  at  the  end  of  Chapter  IV.  They  were  the  subject 
of  many  conjectures,  until  the  matter  was  set  at  rest — first, 
by  the  acuteness  of  Mr.  Thayer,  and  then  by  the  independent 
publication  of  the  book  alluded  to  by  'Mariam  Tenger,'  which 
has  received  the  imprimatur  of  the  historian,  and  is  now  in  its 
second  edition. 

II.  Andante  con  moto,  in  A  flat.  Beethoven  has  *here 
forsaken  the  accepted  rule  for  the  key  of  the  second 
movement,  and  adopted  the  key  of  the  submediant,  or  third 

♦  He  has  made  the  same  choice  in  the  Eroica  and  Niuth  Symphonies. 


THE   ANDANTE.  157 

below  the  principal  key.  After  the  assaults  and  struggles  and 
conquests  of  the  first  movement,  the  Andante  comes  as  a 
surprise.  It  is  a  set  of  variations,  beautiful  to  hear,  and  with 
much  of  the  same  grace  and  elaborate  finish  as  the  Adagio  of 
No.  4.  It  also  contains  excellent  examples  of  the  caprice  to 
which  allusion  has  more  than  once  been  made.  But  the 
Adagio  of  No.  4,  since  we  know  it  to  be  Beethoven's  Song  of 
betrothal,  has  a  glorious  inner  meaning  transcending  all 
outward  beauties,  and  this  the  Andante  of  No.  5  at  present 
wants.  It  seems  wanting  in  the  spur — the  personal  purpose 
or  idea  which  inspires  the  preceding  movement  and  gives 
the  present  work  its  high  position  in  Beethoven's  music. 
Beethoven,  doubtless,  had  such  an  idea,  he  always  had  one  ; 
but  he  has  not  revealed  it  to  us.  And  here  it  is  impossible  to 
resist  a  strong  feeling  of  regret  that  in  this  and  others  of  his 
Symphonies  Beethoven  did  not  give  us  the  clue  to  his  inten- 
tion, as  he  has  done  in  the  *  Eroica,'  and  still  more  fully 
in  the  *  Pastoral.'  How  warmly  should  we  welcome  any 
authentic  memorandum  or  commentary,  however  short,  on 
these  great  works  of  the  imagination  !  Beethoven  has  not 
seen  fit  to  vouchsafe  them ;  but  it  is  surely  a  pity  that  he  has 
not.  How  much  less  should  we  have  been  able  to  enter  into 
the  manifold  meanings  of  the  Pastoral  Symphony,  if  all  that 
was  known  about  it  was  that  it  was  *  Symphony  No.  6,  in  F 
major.  Op.  68.'  Similarly  in  the  cases  of  Symphony  No.  8, 
and  the  first  movement  of  No.  9,  how  welcome  would  be  any 
authentic  memoranda  of  the  personal  circumstances  which 
evidently  lie  behind  their  extraordinary  autobiographical 
features.  We  may  admire  the  spirit,  the  rich  colouring, 
the  romantic  and  humorous  feeling  of  No.  7  to  the  very  full ; 
but  the  mind  will  always  crave  to  know  something  beyond  the 
mere  romance,  variety,  and  brilliancy  of  the  sounds — some- 
thing which  has  been  withheld  from  us,  something  which 
we  have  to  guess,  and  in  guessing  which  all  attempts 
must  be   uncertain — the   ideas,    the    circumstances    which 


158  FIFTH   SYMPHONY. 

were  thronging  through  the  mind  of  the  Master  when  he 
composed  that  gorgeous  picture,  for  a  picture  it  must  be. 
This  fact  is  proved,  if  only  by  the  ridiculous  variety  of  inter- 
pretations that  have  been  proposed  by  the  critics.  They  are 
quite  within  their  duty,  if  not  always  within  their  taste,  in 
proposing  them,  because  we  know  on  Beethoven's*  own 
authority  that  he  'always  worked  to  a  picture.'  True, 
Mendelssohn,  in  a  very  interesting  letter  to  his  cousin 
Souchay,f  says  that  music  has  a  more  definite  meaning 
than  words.  To  the  composer  probably,  but  certainly 
not  to  the  hearer,  especially  if  he  happen  to  be  an 
amateur. 

But  we  must  return  to  the  Andante.  It  consists  first  of  a 
theme  containing  several  sections  and  extending  to  forty- 
eight  bars.  The  first  section  is  played  by  the  violas  and 
cellos  in  unison,  with  a  pizzicato  note  here  and  there  in  the 
basses — 


No.  15. 


Viola  A 
Cello,  dol. 


^ 


B&BBBB  pizz,  P 


Viol.  8va  &  Fag. 


W"=^T^W^^ 


If  the  form  in  which  the  opening  subject  of  the  first  move- 
ment first  appeared  in  the  sketch-book  (No.  1)  was 
commonplace,  that  in  which  the  above  beautiful  melody 
stands  there  is  still  Jmore  so — 

•  Expressly  said  to  Mr.  Neate,  in  1815.— See  Thayer,  iiL,  p.  313. 

t  See  Letters,  October  15,  1842. 

X  bee  lioii&h6hm.B eethovenuinu,  p.  14. 


THE  ANDANTE.   FIRST  SKETCH, 


159 


NO.  16.  j^n^ante  quasi  menuetto.  ■-■«,■-«- 


&0. 


nothing  could  well  be  more  tame  and  unpromising. 

A  second  melody  in  the  wind  instruments,  echoed  by  the 
violins,  follows  immediately  on  the  foregoing ;  the  unequal 
length  of  the  two  portions  will  be  noticed — 


No.  17. 


Flute 


Violins 


cres.f  ^-^  p 

and  then  a  *third — 

No.  18, 


Clar.  &  Bassoons 


This  continues  for  some  length,  passing  through  the  key  of 
C  major,  and  ending  with  a  Coda  of  great  beauty — 


*  I  can  find  nothing  in  this  march-like  theme  to  recall  the  Orossvaiertanz,  as 
it  does  to  Oulibicheff. 

t  A  Vienna  tradition  says  that  at  rehearsal  the  hassoon  played  F  natural, 
and  was  corrected  by  Beethoven's  shouting  out  'Fes' — i.e.,  F  Hat,  in  the 
Germaa  nomenclature. 


160 


FIFTH    SYMPHONY. 


This  first  section,  as  already  stated,  occupies  forty. 
eight  bars.  It  is  immediately  succeeded  by  a  variation 
of  the  whole  preceding  matter,  the  variation  consisting  in 
giving  a  semiquaver  form  to  the  melody,  and  other  simple 
though  masterly  devices.  It  begins  thus  in  the  violas  and 
cellos — 


No- 20.^^ 


^      ^ 


smfj^^ip^- 


sa 


•pxzz. 


and  among  the  devices  is  the  following  startling  amplification 
of  the  quaver  which  finishes  Example  16,  on  the  recurrence 
of  the  passage — 


No.  a. 


PI.  il 


ffS^ 


i^^ 


Fag.  ff\ 

4 


^  1 


The  amount  of  colour  obtained  here  and  elsewhere  throug'n- 
out  this  movement  from  the  scanty  force  of  wind  instruments 
at  Beethoven's  command  is  very  strildng  and  very  beautiful. 
His  economy  is  remarkable  ;  a  touch  here,  a  short  passage 
there,  often  produces  the  most  disproportionate  and  charming 
effects. 

This  first  variation  is  followed  by  a  second  in  demisomi- 
quavers — 


No.  22. 


Violas  A 


Cellos  ^    m^  "1  Ii>        -^  T*^^^**   ^^f^J^  ^  -P- -P- 

4i  doles  '*^. 


f)dolC€ 


THE   ANDANTE.      FETIS. 


161 


Berlioz*  tells  us  that  the  beautiful  high  E  flat  held  on  by 
the  flute,  oboe,  and  bassoon  throughout  these  bars  was 
corrected  to  F  by  Fetis  in  his  scoref  with  the  impertinent 
remark,  *  this  E  flat  should  obviously  be  F ;  it  is  impossible 
for  Beethoven  to  have  made  such  a  blunder.'  Fetis  must 
surely  have  recognised  the  beauty  of  the  resolution  of  the 
Et?  into  Efcj,  which  follows  in  the  fifth  bar;  but  to  him 
probably  a  rule  was  a  rule,  not  to  be  broken  under  any 
pretext. 

After  this  we  arrive  at  a  pause,  and  a  succession  of  chords 
in  the  strings,  which  serve  as  a  basis  for  a  touching  little 
duet  between  the  clarinet  and  bassoon,  with  all  the  air  of  a 
farewell,  the  pace  being  somewhat  accentuated — 


No.  23 


Pitt  moto. 


i 


Clar. 


¥ 


m 


S:^ 


:«^ 


pp  semprepp 


rrr 


Fag.  ^ 


§.Jffii 


&0. 


This  is  prolonged  by  the  wind  instruments  in  a  humorous 
passage  J  of  twelve  bars,  beginning  thus — 


f^g^ffl^ffl 


Flute  solo.  dol.  Oboe 


$ 


^- 


Clars.  p  51 


*  Mevioires,  i.,  chap.  44. 

f-  Prepared  with  a  view  to  a  pianoforte  edition  for  Troup^nas  the  publisher. 
X  These  phrases  in  contrary  motion  ai-e  perhaps  first  tried  in  the  Larghetto 
of  Symphony  No.  2. 


162 


FIFTH    SYMPHONY. 


humorous  because  it  lias  all  the  air  of  mere  wilfulness  on  the 
part  of  the  composer,  a  determination  to  do  just  what  he  likes, 
however  inconsequent  or  unnecessary  it  may  seem  to  hia 
hearers,  or  however  repulsive  the  passing  discords  may  prove 
to  their  conservative  ears. 

This  leads  into  a  repetition  of  No.  18  in  the  key  of  C  major, 
very  loud  and  martial  in  tone  ;  and  this  again  into  a  second 
and  still  droller  passage  than  the  last  quotation,  where  the 
flow  of  the  melody  is  stopped  for  eight  bars  to  introduce 
a  passage  of  mere  pleasantry — or,  as  it  probably  seemed  in 
1808,  of  mere  caprice,  though  now  essential  to  our 
pleasure — 


No.  25, 


pjg^P^J^^I^ 


Strings  p 


Viol.  1  &  Viola 


piifJ 


VW 


The  writer  was  told  by  the  late  Sir  John  Goss  that  he 
remembered  this  very  passage  having  been  specially  offensive 
to  the  older  members  of  the  Philharmonic  Society  at  the 
early  performances  of  the  Symphony. 

The  remainder  of  the  movement  is  extraordinarily  noblfev 
pathetic,  and  beautiful;  and  culminates  in  an  extended 
repetition  of  the  last  bars  of  No.  17,  in  which,  by  an  altera- 
tion, sHght,  but  of  infinite  moment,  a  most  touching  effect 
is  produced — 


THE  ANDANTE.   THE  SCHERZO. 


163 


No  26. 


gH— g= 


i?S^^ 


The  violin  seems  almost  to  go  up  into  heaven;  the  sforzandos 
of  bars  2  and  3,  and  the  rests  in  bars  4  and  5  are  full  of 
unspeakable  emotion ;  and  the  pathos  is  increased  by  the  last 
six  bars  being  accompanied  in  the  clarinets  and  bassoons 
by  the  little  Coda  figure  given  in  No.  28.  Immediately 
after  this  melting  farewell,  however,  as  if  ashamed  of  thus 
indulging  his  emotion,  Beethoven  urges  the  basses  into 
crescendo  arpeggios,  and  the  movement  ends  with  a  crash. 


III.  The  next  movement  is  the  Scherzo ^  though  not  so 
denominated.  It  is  simply  marked  J ZZe^ro.  And  for  it  we  return 
to  the  key  of  C  minor,  and  to  the  poetical,  ideal  character  of 
the  first  movement ;  even  perhaps  to  still  greater  ideality, 
though  the  mood  be  less  incisive.  It  is  constructed  in  the  usual 
form  of  Scherzos,  with  a  Trio  and  the  ordinary  repeats  and 
interchanges ;  and  yet  while  adhering  to  these  general  lines, 
Beethoven  has  departed  so  much  from  the  usual  proportions 
as  to  show  how  far  such  prescribed  forms  can  be  modified 
without  interfering  with  the  unity,  the  symmetry,  or  the 
impressiveness  of  the  whole.  The  most  serious  innovations  are 
first  the  connection  of  the  Scherzo  with  the  Finale  by  a  link  of 
great  length,  so  contrived  that  the  one  movement  passes  into 
the  other  without  any  pause,  and  secondly  the  introduction  of 
a  long  portion  of  the  Scherzo — or  rather  a  fresh  treatment  of 
its  themes — into  the  working-out  of  the  Finale.  But  of  thia 
more  anon. 


164 


FIFTH   SYMPHONY. 


A  Scherzo,  as  its  name  implies,  is  generally  a  bngy>  almost 
bustling  piece — witness  that  of  the  *  Eroica '  ;  but  the  ex- 
pression  of  the  theme  in  the  present  case  has  something 
mysterious,  almost  uncanny  about  it — in  Berlioz's  words,  '  it 
is  as  fascinating  as  the  gaze  of  a  mesmeriser.'  It  opens 
thus,  in  the  cellos  and  basses  only — 


No.  27. 


Basses  pp 


•-'  Vinlinfl  4 


pnco  ritard. 


^= 


VioUns/op 


as  light  and  legato  as  the  bows  can  make  it.  On  repetition 
these  eight  bars  are  extended  to  ten,  and  these  are  succeeded 
by  a  second  strain,  forcible  and  rhythmic,  given  out  by  the 
horns,  with  a  loud  chord  from  the  strings  at  the  beginning  of 
each  bar — 


No.  28. 


Horns  Jf 


m^ 


Str.  / 


f 


Y-r 


¥ 


r  r 


and  then  a  development  of  the  two  themes  takes  place  at  great 
length,  and  full  of  ingenious  modulation  and  combination. 
The  first  portion  of  the  Scherzo  ends  on  the  note  C,  with  no 
third,  major  or  minor.  The  Trio,  however,  which  follows 
on  this,  though  not  so  called,  is  unmistakably  in  the  major 
of  the  key : — 


No.  29. 


Viola  &  Fag. 


BCHERZO   AND   TRIO. 


165 


The  music  has  abandoned  its  supernatural  character,  and  is 
extremely  droll,*  in  the  fugal  form  it  assumes,  in  the  almost 
solo  part  taken  by  the  double  basses,  and  other  features.  The 
theme,  which  we  already  remarked  as  being  in  C,  is  answered 
in  G.     The  other  two  answers  are  in  C  and  G. 

The  second  section  of  the  Trio  is  droller  still,  first  in  the 
F  natural,  which  forms  the  second  note,  and  next  in  the  false 
starts,  both  dropped  in  the  fugal  answer — 


No.  30. 


^^^ 


^msn^ 


1— T 


^   &0, 


The  rumble  of  the  double  basses,  in  these  false  starts  and  in 
the  answers  of  the  fugatn,  makes,  to  quote  Berlioz  again,  a 
confusion  '  like  the  gambols  of  an  elephant.'  The  gamesome 
beast,  however,  retires  by  degrees,  the  whole  dies  away  in 
a  beautiful  soft  passage  for  the  wind,  and  a  few  notes  pizzicato 
in  cellos  and  basses  land  us  back  in  C  minor  and  the 
original  mysterious  subject  of  the  Scherzo  (No.  27). 

But  with  a  change  of  treatment.  Formerly  all  was  legato, 
now  the  phrases  are  made  more  piquant  by  being  given 
staccato  (a  crotchet  and  a  rest  instead  of  a  minim),  thus — 


No.  31. 


Wind 


P 


voco  ritard. 


"    li    I  r — U  »■  f  J^ 


PP 


1^^^ 


■^  -^ 


PP 


^"*1f^[f 


Strings^ 


•  '  Die  fragende  Figur '  (Schumann), 


1G6 


FIFTH   SYMPHONY. 


The  return  of  the  Scherzo  is  no  mere  recapitulation.  Besides 
the  prevailing  staccato  jiist  mentioned,  which  takes  the  place  of 
the  former  legato,  the  treatment  is  widely  different.  Thus  the 
passage  quoted  as  No.  28,  instead  of  being,  as  before,  loud 
and  aggressive,  is  very  soft  and  delicate  ;  the  figure  is  trans- 
ferred from  the  horns  to  the  clarinet,  oboe,  and  first  violins ; 
the  accompaniment  is  quite  new  and  of  a  charmingly  crisp 
and  delicate  character ;  the  strings  being  used  arco  and  staccato 
at  the  same  time,  the  lowest  nuance  is  maintained,  and  a 
mysterious  atmosphere  seems  to  descend  over  all — 


J  J    J  Viols,  pizz. 


^=5 


Str.  arco.  sempre  pp 

— 4- 


1^=^ 


PPT 
Y  sempre  piu  p 


* 


^ 


r-^ 


«^-^^j.j.-j  -J       j-j-j  J 


::=^EjgEg3E- j  '"  ""  IpS^^S^^^i 


pizz 


From  the  rhythmical  figure  a  new  melody  gradually  emerges — 


No.  33. 


pizzicato. 


^     semvre  P  P  &c 


sempre  p  p 

This  goes  on  for  seventy  bars,  at  which  point  the  basses 
come  on  to  A  flat,  ppp,  and  the  drum  begins  a  pedal  on  C, 
with  constant  vacillations  of  rhythm ;  aod  with  this  sudden 
change — almost  as  great  as  the  beginning  of  the  storm  in  the 
Pastoral  Symphony,  though  marked  with  no  double-bar,  as 


LINK  BETWEEN    SCHERZO   AND    FINALE. 


167 


that  is — we  begin  the  truly  magical  passage*  which  links  the 
Scherzo  to  the  Finale — 


No.  S4. 


_|  r  r-|     ^_r_ij    |..r    |  , -|:±:Uf-|-^44-4- 1     ||     I     |     l|     I  -4— U|- 
I   ^^ — ^1   ~ -^  I    ^ — ^  I   "^ — '  I    "^^ — "  I ^  I  ^^ ^1 


semijre  pp 

At  the  end  of  the  quotation  a  slight  increase  in  force  takes 
place — from  ppp  to  pp — and  in  the  bar  following  the  quota- 
tion the  basses  change  their  holding  note  to  crotchets  and 
shortly  afterwards  leave  their  A  flat ;  the  violin  begins  a 
figure  taken  from  the  original  theme  (No.  27) — 


No.  35. 


^m^^ 


^111     111     1 
but  the  drum  maintains  its  recurring  figure  and  the  whole 

*  A  great  musician  has  well  said  of  this  place  : — '  The  whole  of  the  Scherzo  of 
the  C  minor  Symphony  is  as  near  being  miraculous  as  human  work  can  be  ;  but 
one  of  its  most  absorbing  moments  is  the  part  where,  for  fifteen  bars,  there  is 
nothing  going  on  but  an  insignificant  chord  continuously  held  by  low  strings 
and  a  pianissimo  rhythmic  beat  of  the  drum.  Taken  out  of  its  context,  it 
would  be  perfectly  meaningless.  As  Beethoven  has  used  it,  it  is  infinitely 
more  impressive  than  the  greatest  noise  Meyerbeer  and  his  followers  ever 
■ucceeded  in  making.' — Dr.  Hubert  Parry,  T/te  Art  a/ Music,  p.  284, 


168 


FIFTH   SYMPHONY. 


passage  its   magical   quality,  till  the  mystery  ends  by  the 
mafmificent  burst  into  the  Finale — 


At  this  point  the  whole  orchestra,  including  the  three 
trombones,  hitherto  silent,  the  double  bassoon,  the  piccolo, 
and  the  drum,  all  the  noisy  elements  at  Beethoven's  com- 
mand in  those  simpler  days,  bursts  like  a  thunder-clap  into 
the  major  key  and  into  a  triumphal  march,  Allegro^  ci=84 : — 


No.  37. 


-]!* P^— ^ 


jfFuU  Orchestra.  J     ^       Z  ^        Z     ^         Ls     F  *   "E^^  * 


This  subject  is  twenty-four  bars  in  length,  and  leads  into 
a  definite  passage  for  the  wind  instruments  (which,  cm-iously, 
has  the  same  intervals  and  rhythm  as  the  subject  of  the 
Andante  in  Mozart's  *  Jupiter  ') — 


No.  38. 


P 


S^^^^ES 


:^ziL 


iS-g; 


strings 

■     U 


Wind 


'f^^^^ 


THE   FINALE. 


169 


It  will  be  observed  that  in  the  latter  portion  of  this  subject 
the  phrases  are  hurried  in  time  according  to  a  favourite  habit 
of  Beethoven's.  This  gives  rise  to  another  passage  of  great 
importance — 


not  only  in  itself,  but  because,  in  the  development  of  it,  an 
emphatic  phrase  occurs  in  the  bass,  which  is  greatly  employed 
in  the  workuig-out  of  the  movement — 


No.  40. 


and  this  at  last  leads  into  the  second  main  subject  of  the 
Finale  in  the  key  of  G — 


No.  41.  Clar.  &  Viol? 


After  this  we  arrive  at  the  end  of  the  first  section.  That 
section  (eighty-five  bars)  is,  strange  to  say,  marked  to  be 
repeated,  though  the  instruction  is  rarely  obeyed.*     Then 

*  Berlioz  actually  charges  Habeneck  with  disloyalty  to  Beethoven  for 
having  suppressed  this  repetition.  No  conductor  observes  it.  But  Berlioz  had 
a  grudge  against  Habeneck,  and  no  one  knew  better  than  he  that  revenge  is 
sweet. 

Grove.— Beethoven's  Nine  Symphonies.— Novello's  Edition.       M 


170 


FIFTH   SYMPHONY. 


comes  the  working-out  of  the  matter  already  quoted.  This 
begins  in  the  key  of  A  minor,  and  great  use  is  at  once  made 
of  the  energetic  phrase  in  the  bass  of  No.  40.  It  occurs  no 
less  than  fifteen  times,  in  all  instruments,  from  the  contra- 
fagotto  to  the  flute,  and  in  various  combinations,  and  as  the 
vehicle  of  the  most  interesting  modulations.  In  fact  it  may 
be  said  to  be  the  prominent  feature  of  the  first  portion  of  the 
working-out.  This  portion,  hurrying,  loud,  and  noisy  through- 
out, ends  by  a  tremendous  hui&t  fortissimo  on  a  pedal  G,  with 
all  possible  clamour  and  richness.  At  this  point  there  is  a 
sudden  lull.  The  pace  then  slackens  to  that  of  the  Scherzo 
(J.  =  96),  the  time  alters  to  3-4,  the  contra-fagotto  and 
piccolo  are  silenced,  the  tone  is  reduced  in  the  course  of  a  few 
bars  to  jnanissimo,  and  the  Scherzo  is  re-introduced  in  the 
strings,  clarinets,  oboe,  and  horn.  This  introduction  is  not, 
however,  the  actual  recapitulation  of  any  former  portion  of 
the  work,  but  is  rather  a  continuation  of  the  highly  mysterious 
and  touching  music  quoted  in  Nos.  32,  33,  34,  35,  and  is 
remarkable  for  a  lovely  new  feature  in  an  affecting  melody 
put  into  the  mouth  of  the  oboe,  beginning  at  bar  20  of  the 
3-4  time — 


No.  42. 

Viol,  arco 


Oboe 


Nothing  could  possibly  be  more  effective  than  this  beautiful 
episode  in  its  astonishing  contrast  to  the  brilliant  and 
triumphant  strains  which  precede  and  follow  it.  Effective, 
and  also  original ;  no  one  who  ever  hears  it  can  forget  the 
wonderful  impression  it  makes.  Spohr,  who  disliked  the 
Symphony  and  describes  the  Finale  as  a  mere  *  empty  babel,' 
sajs  that  for  so  happy  an  idea  the  composer  deserves  his 


GENERAL   REVIEW.  171 

blessing.  And  Spohr  was  right.  Beethoven  has  had  the 
blessing  not  only  of  Spohr,  the  learned  musician,  but  of  tens 
of  thousands  who  are  not  musicians,  who  can  feel  without 
knowing  why  they  feel.  After  this  affecting  interruption,  the 
opening  of  the  Finale  (No.  37)  returns  in  full  force,  and  the 
recapitulation  follows  with  few  if  any  differences.  When  this  is 
completed  a  long  and  splendid  Coda  begins,  no  less  than  150 
bars  in  length,  in  which  much  of  the  previous  material  is  em- 
ployed. Its  first  principal  feature  is  a  new  treatment  of  the  latter 
part  of  No.  38.  After  this  is  exhausted,  the  pace  gradually 
increases  to  Presto  on  the  subject  No.  41,  and  the  movement 
ends  with  all  possible  jubilation  in  an  apparently  interminable 
succession  of  the  common  chord  of  C,  the  drum  asserting 
its  presence  to  the  very  last. 

Let  us,  before  we  go  to  the  next  Symphony,  take  a 
farewell  look  at  the  complex  final  movement,  or  congeries 
of  movements,  we  have  been  imperfectly  endeavouring  to 
describe — Scherzo ^  Trio,  and  Finale  all  forming  one  long  and 
continuous  piece.  First  we  have  the  magnetic  Scherzo,  at  once 
so  mysterious  and  so  strong,  taking  us  at  a  touch  out  of 
the  almost  brutal  conflicts  of  the  first  movement,  and 
the  beautiful  but  human  world  of  the  Andante.  Then  comes 
the  gamesome  humour  of  the  Trio,  not  unlike  the  grim 
banter  of  the  Angels  during  the  battle  in  *  Paradise  Lost.' 
Next,  and  most  remarkable  of  all,  is  the  reprise  of  the 
Scherzo,  where,  had  he  been  a  mere  musician,  even  of  the 
greatest,  Beethoven  was  bound  to  repeat  the  opening  of 
his  movement ;  but  where,  the  poet  being  too  strong  for 
the  artist,  he  has  been  forced  by  his  genius  to  throw  his  former 
materials  into  an  entirely  new  form.  *  I  cast  them  into  the 
fire,'  said  Aaron  of  the  ornaments  of  the  Israelite  women, 
*  and  they  came  out  this  calf.'  But  what  was  Aaron's 
miracle  to  Beethoven's — when,  out  of  an  unpretending 
little  phrase  of  three  notes,  he  made  such  an  astonishing 


172  riFTH    SYMPHONY. 

passage  ?  Great  as  the  music  was  before,  magnetic, 
poetical,  it  was  only  that ;  it  was  self-contained  and  did 
not  imply  that  anything  further  was  to  come  out  of  it ; 
but  now  we  feel  that  the  music  is  pregnant  with  a  new 
birth,  and  has  the  promise  of  eternity  within  its  bosom. 
To  hear  it  is  like  being  present  at  the  work  of  Creation. 
Strange,  disorderly,  almost  appalling,  as  is  the  rushing 
surface  of  the  mass,  we  cannot  but  feel  that  a  divine  power 
is  working  under  the  current ;  the  creative  force  of  law  and 
order  is  at  work  there  ;  and  at  last,  out  of  the  suspense 
and  mystery  and  repetition  which  have  for  so  long  enveloped 
us,  suddenly  bursts  the  new  world,  radiant  with  the  eternal 
sunshine,  and  welcomed  by  the  jubilant  sound  of  those  aeonian 
strains,  when  all  the  sons  of  God  shouted  for  joy.  No  wonder 
that  the  work  to  which  this  forms  the  conclusion  should  have 
penetrated  more  widely  and  deeply  than  any  other  into  the 
minds  of  men. 

Thus  started,  the  Finale  goes  on  its  way  in  all  the  pomp 
and  circumstance  of  earthly  life.  It  may  be  victory  or  success 
of  some  other  kind  that  is  depicted,  but  success  it  undoubtedly 
is,  and  a  glorious  career;  until,  as  if  to  enforce  the  lesson 
that  the  ideal  is  higher  than  the  visible,  a  part  of  the  Scherzo 
is  re-introduced,  and  we  are  made  again  to  listen  to  a  portion 
of  the  mysterious  strain  that  was  so  affecting  before.  The 
initial  triumphal-march  then  returns,  and  the  movement 
finishes  in  glory.  The  immense  spirit  of  the  Finale  is  excuse 
enough  for  any  effect  that  it  may  have  produced.  But  there 
is  one  anecdote  which  is  particularly  interesting.  It  is  said 
that  at  one  of  the  performances  in  Paris,  an  old  soldier  who 
was  in  the  room  started  up  at  the  commencement  of  the 
movement  and  cried  out  '  L'Empereur,  I'Empereur  I  '  No 
wonder  too  if  in  that  strange  land,  where  faith  in  the  Emperor 
was  then  nearly  the  only  faith  left,  it  was  at  one  time 
asserted  that  this  movement  was  originally  intended  to  com- 
plete the   *  Eroica,'   the   Symphony   which  was   actually  a 


ORIGINAL   SKETCH   OP   THE   FINALE. 


173 


portrait  of  Napoleon.  This  notion  is,  however,  utterly  false. 
To  those  who  have  ears  to  hear  and  hearts  to  feel,  the  Eroica 
wants  no  other  Finale  than  that  which  it  possesses,  and  always 
possessed,  and  the  hero  of  the  C  minor  Symphony  was  a  more 
ideal  person  even  than  Bonaparte — it  was  Beethoven  himself. 

At  the  conclusion  of  a  work  so  essentially  unlike  any  of  its 
predecessors  or  successors,  it  is  again  impossible  not  to  call 
attention  to  the  extraordinary  individuahty  which  they  all 
manifest,  each  utterly  different  from  the  other  in  every  point — 
which  is  really  one  of  the  most  astonishing  things  in  Bee- 
thoven's music.  His  Symphonies  form  a  series  of  peaks,  each 
with  its  characteristic  features — its  clefts,  its  glaciers,  its 
descending  torrents  and  majestic  waterfalls,  its  sunny  uplands 
and  its  shining  lakes  ;  and  each  of  these  great  peaks  has  its 
own  individual  character  as  much  as  the  great  mountains  of 
Switzerland  have  theirs,  and  is  a  world  in  itself — a  world  not 
made  with  hands,  and  eternal. 


The  wonderful  conclusion  of  the  Symphony,  impulsive  and 
spontaneous  as  it  now  sounds,  was  no  fruit  of  sudden  impulse 
or  momentary  inspiration.  The  original  conception  was  of 
quite  a  different  order,  as  we  see  from  the  sketch-books,*  where 
it  appears  thus — 

No.  43. 

Ij' ultimo  pezzo. 


^^ 


Ml     N   I      ^^ 


f^,^^ 


:;=-=f:=3: 


zJziSt 


g 


#iy-^^^Jta=-.=^H— 4^-=tf ^^^^g^ 


*  Btxthoveniana,  p.  15. 


174 


FIFTH    SYMPHONY. 


with  a  certain  relationship  to  the  subjects  of  the  Finales  of  the 
*  Waldstein  '  and  E  flat  Sonatas. 


The  subject  of  the  two  famous  redundant  bars,  which  once 
formed  a  part  of  the  Scherzo  as  performed,  is  now  rarely 
alluded  to  ;  but  at  one  time  a  strong  controversy  raged  over 
it,  and,  before  we  leave  this  part  of  the  work,  mention  must 
be  made  of  the  matter.  It  is  an  odd  bit  of  history,  and  not 
uninstructive  in  many  ways. 

The  separate  instrumental  parts  of  the  Symphony  were 
published  by  Messrs.  Breitkopf  and  Hartel  in  1809.  In  the 
autumn  of  the  next  year,  Beethoven  addressed  a  letter  to 
them  dated  August  21, 1810,  pointing  out  that  the  first  bars  of 
the  repetition  of  the  Scherzo  after  the  Trio  were  inaccurately 
printed.     His  letter  is  as  follows  : — 

'  I  have  found  the  following  error  still  remaining  in  the 
Symphony  in  0  minor ;  namely,  in  the  third  movement  in 
8-4  time,  where  the  minor  comes  back  after  the  major  |:|nL* 
I  quote  the  Bass  part  thus — 


The  two  bars  which  are  crossed  out  are  too  many,  and  must 
be  erased,  of  course  in  all  the  parts.' 

Of  this  letter  no  notice  appears  to  have  been  taken  at  the 
time ;  and,  strange  to  say,  when  the  score  was  pubhshed  by 
the  same  eminent  firm,  with  that  of  the  Pastoral  Symphony, 
in  1826,  the  passage  appeared  as  it  had  always  stood  in  the 
parts — with  the  two  redundant  bars.  In  1846  Mendelssohn 
had  to  conduct  the  Lower  Rhine  Festival  at  Aix-la-Chapelle. 
The  C  minor  Symphony  formed  part  of  the  programme,  and 
the  tradition  is,  though  I  am  bound  to  say  that  I  cannot 


THE  TWO  REDUNDANT  BAES.  175 

obtain  any  absolute  confirmation  of  it,  that  he  felt  unhappy 
about  the  passage  and  made  enquiry  of  the  publishers.  At 
any  rate,  thirty-six  years  after  it  was  written,  Beethoven's 
letter  was  produced,  and  published  in  facsimile  in  the  Allg. 
mils.  Zeitung  for  1846,  p.  461.  Mendelssohn  omitted  the  two 
bars  at  the  performance,  but  the  fact  seems  almost  entirely  to 
have  escaped  notice.  Even  the  long  article  on  the  Festival  in 
the  periodical  just  named  (1846,  p.  405),  by  Onslow  the  com- 
poser, does  not  mention  it,  and  the  only  notice  which  I  have 
been  able  to  discover  is*  that  of  Dr.  Ferdinand  Rallies 
in  the  Musical  World,  May  26,  1860.  Rallies  was  present 
at  the  Festival,  and  his  statement  settles  the  fact  that  the  two 
bars  were  omitted.  Still,  strange  to  say,  in  the  teeth  of 
Beethoven's  plain  words  about  his  own  work,  thus  at  length 
acted  upon,  the  obnoxious  bars  were  clung  to  and  defended  in 
the  most  vigorous  manner.  Berlioz,  then  writing  for  the  Dehats, 
was  one  of  their  stoutest  champions.  He  was  adhered  to  by 
the  French  in  general — tant  pis  pour  lesfaits.  So  strong  was 
the  feeling  in  Paris  that  Habeneck,  conductor  of  the  famous 
Concerts  du  Conservatoire,  told  Schindler  that  he  dared  not 
go  against  the  feeling  of  his  orchestra  by  sacrificing  the  two 
bars.  There  would  be  a  revolt.  Touching  loyalty  on  the  part 
of  the  band  I  However,  'Time,  the  healer,'  has  done  his 
useful  work,  and  the  passage  is  probably  now  played  every- 
where as  Beethoven  intended  it  to  be  played,  and  as  he 
fruitlessly  corrected  the  printed  edition  so  soon  after  its 
publication. 

The  explanation  given  by  the  late  Otto  Jahn,  than 
whom  no  one  is  more  likely  to  have  known,  in  his  preface  to 
Breitkopf's  general  edition  of  Beethoven, f  is  that  in  the  copy 
prepared  by  Beethoven  for  the  engraver  the  two  redundant 
bars  are  marked  1,  and  the  two  following  ones  2,  and  that 

•  I  owe  this  to  the  kind  labour  of  my  friend,  Mr.  F.  G.  Edwards. 

t  See  Gesammelie  Au/sdtze  uber  Musik  von  Otto  Jahn  (Leipzig,  1866),  p.  31 7» 


176  FIFTH    SYMPHONY. 

above  them  is  written  si  replica  con  trio  allora  2 — repeat  the 
Trio  and  then  go  to  2.  Beethoven  therefore  wished  the  whole 
ScJierzo  and  Trio  repeated,  and  then  the  Coda — with  which 
the  repetition  was  to  end — and  this  the  engraver  did  not 
understand. 

At  the  Gewandhaus  concerts,  at  Leipzig,  when  Mendelssohn 
was  conductor  (1835  to  1843),  and  at  an  earlier  period,  it 
appears,  from  an  inspection  of  the  music,  to  have  been  the 
practice  to  omit  the  two  staccato  bars  and  play  the  two  legato 
ones.  The  same  course  was  adopted  by  our  Philharmonic 
Society,  the  result  in  both  cases  being  that  which  Beethoven 
did  not  want.  In  the  autograph  in  the  Mendelssohn  house  at 
Berlin  the  place  has  been  so  corrected  by  Beethoven,  both  with 
ink  and  pencil,  and  so  many  enigmatical  marks  made  that 
it  was  impossible  for  the  writer  to  understand  exactly  what 
was  meant,  especially  as  the  passage  occurs  at  the  veiy 
end  of  a  right-hand  page  and  the  corrections  have  to  be 
carried  over  to  the  next  one.  It  is  very  curious  that  in  the 
original  criticism  by  Hoffmann,  in  the  Allgemeine  miisikalisclu 
Zeitung,  of  July,  1810  (several  weeks  before  the  date  of  Bee- 
thoven's letter),  the  passage  is  given  in  its  correct*  form ;  and 
this  strengthens  the  suspicion  already  expressed,  that  in 
preparing  his  article  Hoffmann  had  been  in  communication 
with  Beethoven,  and  had  obtained  his  materials,  possibly  the 
loan  of  a  MS.  score,  direct  from  him. 


The  only  previous  instance  known  of  a  Finale  being  inter- 
rupted by  the  introduction  of  one  of  the  former  movements 
is  an  early  Symphony  of  Haydn's  in  B  major  (No.  14  in  the 
list  of  Symphonies  given  in  Vol.  II.  of  Pohl's  'Joseph  Haydn' 
1882).     The  score  was  edited  by  F.  Wiillner,  and  first  pub- 

•  See  the  AUg.  mus.  Zeitung  for  July  11,  1810,  p.  655. 


ODD   COINCIDENCE. 


177 


lished  by  Rieter-Biedermann  in  1869.  Here  the  Finale,  presto, 
in  B  major,  in  common  time,  is  interrupted  within  a  short 
distance  of  the  end  to  admit  thirty-four  bars  in  the  same 
tempo  as  the  menuetto  (Allegretto) ;  the  key  is  the  same  as  that 
of  the  Finale  itself,  and,  as  in  Beethoven's  case,  though  the 
phrases  are  the  same  as  those  of  the  Minuet,  they  are  not 
an  exact  transcript  thereof,  and  have  a  Coda  of  four  bars  of 
their  own,  after  which  tempo  the  former  piece  returns. 

An  interesting  fact  is  disclosed  by  the  sketch-book  of  the 
Scherzo,  which  otherwise  would  probably  not  have  been 
noticed.  The  first  eight  notes  of  the  theme  quoted  above  as 
No.  27  are  the  same  in  intervals  as  those  of  the  beginning 
of  the  Finale  to  Mozart's  famous  G  minor  Symphony,  though 
in  tempo  and  rhythm  quite  different — 


No.  44. 


^^^ 


f£=^ 


^ 


i 


^5S 


m 


But  the  droll  thing  is  that  Beethoven  must  have  known  what 
he  had  done,  for  he  has  copied  twenty-nine  bars  of  the 
melody  of  Mozart's  Finale  on  the  adjoining  page  of  the 
sketch-book.  This  curious  coincidence  was  first  noticed  by 
Mr.  Nottebohm,  Zweite  Beetlwveniana,  p.  531. 


No  Symphony,  perhaps  no  piece  of  orchestral  music,  has 
been  the  source  of  so  many  anecdotes ;  and  though  some  of 
these  may  be  mythical,  yet  they  all  point  to  its  remarkable 
arresting  and  affecting  power.  It  must  have  been  at  one  of 
the  early  performances  at  the  Concerts  du  Conservatoire, 
already  mentioned,   that  Lesueur  made  his  experiment  in 


178  FIFTH    SYMPHONY. 

hearing  the  new  revolutionary  music,  which  has  been 
admirably  related  by  Berlioz  in  his  *  Memoires '  (1870, 
page  75).  Lesueur — a  considerable  and  perfectly  honest 
musician  of  the  old  school — was  then  one  of  Berlioz's  masters 
at  the  Conservatoire,  and  notwithstanding  the  somewhat 
noisy  demonstrations  of  his  pupil  in  favour  of  Beethoven, 
he  kept  silence  on  the  subject,  and  so  far  studiously  avoided 
attending  the  concerts  at  which  the  new  music  had  made  so 
much  sensation.  Had  he  gone  to  them  he  would  have  been 
forced  to  form  and  express  an  opinion  on  the  point,  and 
this  he  was  unwilling  to  do.  However,  moved  by  the  strong 
instances  of  his  enthusiastic  pupil,  he  at  length  consented 
to  attend  a  performance  of  the  C  minor.  It  was  his  wish 
to  form  a  deliberate  and  conscientious  judgment.  *  He 
therefore  seated  himself  alone  in  one  of  the  ordinary  boxes  on 
the  ground  tier.  After  the  performance  I  hastened  down 
from  my  place  upstairs  to  find  out  the  effect  which  had  been 
produced  upon  him,  and  to  learn  his  judgment  on  the  work. 
I  found  him  in  the  passage,  as  red  as  fire  and  walking 
furiously  fast.  "Well,  my  dear  master,"  said  I — "  Ouf !  "  was 
his  reply — **  I  must  get  out  into  the  air ;  it  is  astonishing,  won- 
derful !  It  has  excited  and  overcome  me  to  that  extent,  that  in 
trying  to  put  on  my  hat  I  could  hardly  find  my  head  I  Don't 
stop  me  now,  but  come  to  me  to-morrow."  ...  I  had  there- 
fore been  successful  1  Early  next  morning  I  called  on  him, 
and  we  at  once  rushed  into  the  subject.  For  a  few  minutes 
he  allowed  me  to  speak,  and  gave  only  an  unwiUing  response 
to  my  raptures.  But  it  was  easy  to  see  that  since  the  day 
before  a  change  had  come  over  him,  and  that  the  subject  was 
not  altogether  pleasant.  At  length  I  succeeded  in  making  him 
repeat  the  confession  of  his  emotion  at  the  performance  ;  but 
•yhen,  with  a  violent  shake  of  his  head  and  a  peculiar  smile,  he 
said:  "All  the  same,  such  music  as  that  ought  not  to  be 
made."  To  which  I  answered:  "All  right,  dear  master, 
there's  no  fear  of  much  being  made  like  it."  ' 


ANECDOTES.      MALIBRAN   AND    SPOHR,  179 

When  Malibran,  the  great  singer,  heard  the  work  for 
the  first  time,  at  the  Paris  Conservatoire,  she  was  thrown 
into  convulsions,  and  had  to  be  removed  from  the  room. 
At  another  performance  by  the  Conservatoire  orchestra 
occurred  the  affecting  story  of  the  veteran  soldier  that  has 
been  already  told. 

Spohr  has  left  a  strange  criticism  on  the  Symphony. 
It  occurs  in  his  Selbstbiographie  (i.,  228)  apropos  to  a 
concert  at  Munich  in  1815.  After  praising  the  excellence 
of  the  performance  and  the  admirable  attention  given  to  all 
the  nuances,  Spohr  continues  as  follows  :  '  The  effect  was  even 
greater  than  my  anticipations,  although  I  had  already  fre- 
quently heard  the  work  in  Vienna,  under  Beethoven's  own 
direction.  Notwithstanding  the  splendour  of  the  execution, 
however,  I  found  no  reason  to  depart  from  my  original 
judgment  on  the  work.  With  all  its  individual  beauties 
it  does  not  form  a  classical  whole.  In  particular  the  theme 
of  the  first  movement  is  wanting  in  the  dignity  which, 
to  my  mind,  is  indispensable  for  the  opening  of  a  Symphony. 
Putting  this  aside,  the  subject,  being  so  short  and  inteUigible, 
is  well  adapted  for  contrapuntal  working,  and  is  combined 
with  the  other  chief  ideas  of  the  movement  in  a  most 
ingenious  and  effective  maimer.  The  Adagio  in  A  flat  is 
in  parts  very  beautiful ;  but  the  same  progressions  and  modu- 
lations recur  so  often,  though  each  time  with  more  florid 
expression,  that  one  is  at  length  wearied  by  them.  The 
Scherzo  is  most  original  and  thoroughly  romantic  in  colour  ; 
but  the  Trio,  with  its  blustering  double  basses,  is  too  grotesque 
[harock)  for  my  taste.  The  last  movement  pleased  me  least 
of  all  by  its  unmeaning  babel ;  but  the  return  of  the  Scherzo 
in  the  Finale  is  so  happy  an  idea  that  one  cannot  but  envy 
the  composer  for  it.  The  effect  is  ravishing  I  Pity  that  all  that 
empty  noise  should  come  back  and  efface  the  impression  1  ' 

Though  the  London  Philharmonic  band,  at  the  first  trial  in 
1814,  received  the  opening  with  much  laughter,  apparently 


180  FIFTH   SYMPHONY. 

thinking  it  was  intended  to  be  comic,  yet  the  C  minor  goon 
grew  into  favour  here,  and  a  curious  scene,  indicative  of  this, 
occurred  at  the  York  Festival  of  1823,  when,  on  account  of 
the  non- arrival  of  some  extra  parts,  an  attempt  was  made  to 
omit  the  Symphony  from  the  programme,  and  proceed  to  the 
next  number,  a  Scotch  ballad  !  *One  of  the  Stewards  on  this 
rose  in  the  room,  and  with  stentorian  voice  exclaimed:  '  Sym- 
phony, Symphony,  I  insist  on  the  Symphony  being  played  * 
and  played  at  length  it  was,  though  with  a  small  number 
of  strings,  amid  universal  applause.  + 

Wagner,  conducting  a  Court  Concert  at  Dresden  during  the 
insurrection  of  1848,  felt  his  spirits  sink  as  each  number 
of  the  programme  seemed  to  bring  a  deeper  gloom  over 
the  audience,  and  gradually  to  extinguish  all  applause. 
Leaning  down  from  his  desk,  he  whispered  to  the  leader  of 
the  violins,  'What  is  to  be  done?'  *OhI  go  on,'  said  the 
leader,  '  there  is  the  C  minor  coming,  and  all  will  be 
right.'  And  so  it  was  ;  for  with  the  magic  sound  of  the 
opening  bars,  everyone's  spirit  revived,  applause  burst 
from  the  benches,  and  it  was  as  if  a  bright  Hght  shone  into 
the  room. 

A  circumstance  in  connection  with  the  Symphony,  of  which 
Beethoven  could  hardly  have  dreamed,  is  told  by  Schumann 
in  a  letter  to  Hiller,  April  25, 1853.  '  Yesterday  for  the  first 
time  we  turned  a  table.  A  wonderful  power  !  Only  think  1 
I  asked  it  to  give  the  rhythm  of  the  two  first  bars  of  the 
C  minor  Symphony.  There  was  a  longer  pause  than  usual, 
and  then  the  answer  began  1^^^^^|  J  |  — very  slowly  at 
first.  But,  said  I,  the  tempo  is  quicker,  my  dear  table  ;  and 
then  he  gave  it  right.' 


*  F.  Maude,  Esq.,  Kecorder  of  Doncaster  (i)tc<t(mary  of  Music,  iv.,  4956), 
t  See  Dictionary  of  Music ^  iv.,  4956. 


KEY   OF   0   MINOB. — EARLY    SYMPHONY. 


181 


Mr.  Nottebohm*  has  given  us  a  few  bars  of  the  sketch 
of  a  Symphony  in  G  minor,  which  dates  from  Beethoven's 
early  Bonn  period,  say  1785 ;  and  which  we  greet  as  a 
curiosity : — 

Presto.  Sinfonia. 


5:5s 


g 


The  key  of  C  minor  occupies  a  peculiar  position  in  Bee- 
thoven's compositions.  The  pieces  for  which  he  has  employed 
it  are,  with  very  few  exceptions,  remarkable  for  their  beauty 
and  importance.  Not  to  speak  more  of  the  Symphony,  there 
are  the  Overture  to  *  Coriolan  '  ;  the  Concerto  No.  3,  for 
Piano  and  Orchestra;  the  Fantasia  for  Piano,  Orchestra,  and 
Chorus  (*  Choral  Fantasia  ') ;  the  String  Quartet,  Op.  18, 
No.  4;  the  Piano  Sonatas  *  Pathetique,'  Op.  10,  No.  1,  and 
Op.  Ill  (the  last).  The  fact  is  more  particularly  obvious  in 
the  three  Piano  Trios  (Op.  1)  ;  the  three  String  Trios  (Op.  9), 
the  three  Sonatas  for  Piano  and  Violin  (Op.  30),  in  each  of 
which  cases  the  piece  in  0  minor  stands  prominently  out 
from  the  others. 


Ziveite  Beethoventana,  p.  5^57. 


SYMPHONY  No.  6  (The  Pastoral),  in  F  (Op,.  68). 

Dedicated  to  Prince  von  Lobkowitz  and  Count  von  Rassumoffsky. 
*  Pastoral  Symphony,  or  a  recollection  of  country  life. 
More  an  expression  of  feeling  than  a  painting.' 

Allegro  ma  non  troppo  {^ 66) — The  cheerful  impressions  excited 

on  arriving  in  the  country.     (F  major.) 

Andante  molto  moto  (« 50)— By  the  brook.     (B  flat.) 

Allegro    («s)._108)  — Peasants'   merry-making;    Allegro  (•*__132), 
(F  major.) 

Allegro  (J_80)— Storm  (F  minor) ;   and 

Allegretto  (J 60) — The  Shepherds'  Hymn,  gratitude  and  thanks- 
giving after  the  Storm.     (F.) 


Score. 


2  Flutes. 

1  Piccolo. 

2  Oboes, 

2  Clarinets. 
2  Horns. 
2  Bassoons. 


2  Trumpets. 

2  Drums. 

Alto  and  Tenor  Trombones 

1st  and  2nd  Violins. 

Viola. 

Violoncellos. 


Basses. 


The  trumpets  and  trombones  are  employed  in  the  Storm  and  Finale 
only ;  the  piccolo  in  the  Storm  alone.  In  the  Andante  there  are  two 
violoncellos,  solo,  muted,  the  other  cellos  playing  with  the  basses. 

The  parts  were  published  by  Breitkopf  &  Hartel  in  April,  1809.  The 
score,  an  8vo  of  188  pages,  was  issued  by  the  same  firm  in  May,  1826, 
so  I  am  informed  by  the  firm.  '  Sixi^me  Sinfonie— Pastorale — en  fa 
majeur :  F  dur :  de  Louis  van  Beethoven.  Oeuvre  68.  Partition. 
Propriety  des  Editeurs.  Prix  3  Thlr.  A  Leipsic,  chez  Breitkopf  &■ 
Hartel.'     [4311.] 


Beethoven's  love  of  nature.  183 

If  the  three  preceding  Symphonies  have  been  occupied  with 
the  workings  of  the  human  mind  and  will,  and  have,  as  it 
were,  kept  us  suspended  over  the  memory  of  a  hero,  the 
rapture  of  an  accepted  lover,  the  conflict  of  his  subsequent 
joys  and  sorrows,  and  the  ultimate  triumph  of  his  spirit  over 
all  obstacles — if  this  be  the  case,  the  next  Symphony  in  the 
series  takes  us  into  an  entirely  different  field.  It  is  as 
unlike  in  subject,  in  treatment,  and  in  result  anything  that 
has  come  before  it  as  if  it  were  the  work  of  another  mind. 
It  is  as  if  Beethoven,  after  all  this  excitement,  had  gone  off  to 
those  scenes  where  alone  his  spirit  could  find  rest  and  refresh- 
ment. He  is  occupied  with  Nature  only,  and  filled  with  the 
calm  which  is  always  the  result  of  love  for  her  and  affectionate 
intercourse  with  her  beauties.  The  Pastoral  Symphony  gives 
us  the  first*  intimation  we  have  had  in  all  Beethoven's  music 
of  that  devotion  to  Nature  and  outdoor  life  which,  though 
one  of  his  especial  characteristics,  would  not  be  inferred  from 
his  compositions.  Whatever  pieces  may  have  been  inspired 
by  the  country,  he  has  left  no  music  with  any  avowed 
connection  with  Nature  but  this  Symphony,  and  yet  he 
appears  to  have  loved  her  with  an  overwhelming  love. 
Wordsworth  himself  can  hardly  have  had  a  more  intense 
affection  for  Nature  in  all  her  forms.  A  countryman  of 
ours,  the  late  Mr.  Chas.  Neate,  one  of  the  founders  of  the 
Philharmonic  Society,  who  lived  in  intimate  friendship  with 


*  The  'Sonata  Pastorale,'  Op.  28,  did  not  get  its  name  from  him  or  with  his 
consent.  It  was  so  called  by  a  publisher,  probably  because  the  theme  of  the 
last  movement  recalls  the  6-8  sequences  which  were  formerly  supposed  to 
represent  the  music  of  shepherds,  Similarly  the  *  Moonlight  Sonata  '  got  its 
name  from  the  expression  of  a  critic,  who  compares  the  first  movement  to  the 
wandering  of  a  boat  by  moonlight  among  the  shores  and  islands  of  the  Lake  of 
Lucerne.  Beethoven  had  nothing  to  do  with  either  of  them.  See  the  list  given 
on  page  51.  He  seems  to  have  contemplated  a  Pastoral  Sonata  in  1815,  as  is 
shown  by  the  sketches  quoted  in  Zweite  Beethoveniana,  p.  317.  These  sketches 
have  an  interest  beyond  their  own  in  the  fact  that  they  are  followed  by  some 
exercises  in  double  counterpoint,  showing  that  even  at  that  late  date  (his 
46th  year)  he  was  still  practising  h's  technical  studies. 


184  SIXTH    SYMPHONY. 

Beethoven  in  Vienna  for  eight  months  in  1815,  has  given  us  a 
remarkable  testimony  to  this  fact :  he  had  *  never  met  any- 
one -who  so  dehghted  in  Nature,  or  so  thoroughly  enjoyed 
flowers  or  *clouds  or  other  natural  objects.  Nature  was 
almost  meat  and  drink  to  him ;  he  seemed  positively  to 
exist  upon  it.'     Other  friends  have  recorded  the  same  thing. 

•  He  loved,'  says  the  Countess  Theresa,  in  her  high-flown 
style,  '  to  be  alone  with  Nature,  to  make  her  his  only 
confidante.  When  his  brain  was  seething  with  confused 
ideas.  Nature  at  all  times  comforted  him.  Often  when  his 
friends  visited  him  in  the  country  in  summer,  he  would  rush 
away  from  them ;  and  thus  it  came  to  pass  that  he  was  often 
at  my  brother's  at  Martonv^sar.'  A  Baden  tradition,  which 
the  writer  heard  there  from  Dr.  Rolletf  in  1892,  says  that  on 
one  occasion,  on  coming  to  take  possession  of  a  lodging 
which  had  been  engaged  for  him  *  at  the  coppersmith's,' 
he  refused  it  because  there  were  no  trees  near  the  house. 

•  How  is  this  ?     Where  are  your  trees  ?  *     '  We  have  none.' 

•  Then  the  house  won't  do  for  me.  I  love  a  tree  more  than 
a  man.'  He  even  pushed  his  devotion  to  Nature  to  the  pitch 
of  being  very  wrath  with  *  the  miller'  at  Baden,  who,  seeing 
him  coming  through  the  heavy  rain,  ran  to  him  with  an 
umbrella.     He  refused  it  angrily. 

Beethoven  did  not  swim  or  ride  as  Mendelssohn  did,  but 
when  living  in  Vienna  het  never  omitted  his  daily  walk,  or 
rather  run,  round  the  ramparts,  whatever  the  weather  might 
be ;  and  the  interesting  account  given  bj  Michael  Krenn,  his 

*  How  beautifully  he  has  set  the  'leichte  Segelen'  of  Jeitteles's  Liederkreis 
'  an  die  ferae  Geliebte  '  (Op.  P8). 

t  Dr.  Hermann  Rollet,  Stadtarchivar  of  Baden,  was  born  on  August  20,  1819. 
He  had  learned  Beethoven's  name  from  Nanette  Streicher — who  was  his  aunt 
or  some  other  relation,  and  was  constantly  playing  his  music  ;  and  on  one 
occasion,  when  the  little  Hermann  was  five  or  six  years  old,  she  was  walking 
with  him  in  Baden  and  they  came  up  to  a  man  who  was  standing  looking  about 
him,  with  his  hat  slung  behind  his  back.  '  There,'  said  Frau  Streicher,  '  that 
is  Beethoven.' 

X  Gerhard  v.  Breuning,  Ails  d.  SchwarzspanxerfuJAis, 


HIS  WANDERINGS   IN   THE   WOODS  185 

body-servant,  of  his  last  summer,  spent  at  his  brother's  house 
at  Gneixendorf,  and  given  at  the  end  of  my  remarks  on  the 
Fourth  Symphony  (p.  132),  shows  him  in  the  open  air,  more  or 
less,  from  six  in  the  morning  till  ten  at  night,  roaming  about 
the  fields,  with  or  without  his  hat,  and  sketch-book  in  hand ; 
shouting,  flourishing  his  arms,  and  completely  carried  away 
by  the  inspiration  of  the  ideas  in  his  mind.  One  of  his 
favourite  proverbs  was  *  Morgenstund  hat  Gold  im  Mund ' — 
*The  morning  air  has  gold  to  spare.*  His  diaries  and 
sketch-books  contain  frequent  allusions  to  Nature.  In  one 
place  he  mentions  seeing  day  break  in  the  woods,  through  the 
still  undisturbed  night  mists.  In  another  we  find  a  fragment 
of  a  hymn,  '  Gott  allein  ist  unser  Herr,'*  sung  to  himself  *  on 
the  road  in  the  evening,  up  and  down  among  the  mountains,' 
as  he  felt  the  solemn  and  serene  influences  of  the  hour.  He 
addresses  *  the  setting  sun,'  on  the  same  occasion,  with  a 
fragment  of  a  song,  *  Leb'  wohl,  schone  Abendsonne.'  This  was 
in  1818,  in  the  truly  lovely  (stiU  lovely)  environs  of  Modling ; 
and  the  phrases  with  which  no  doubt  he  shouted  his  emotion 
into  the  evening  air  are  thus  embalmed  in  the  sketch-book : — 

•  Ani  dem  Wege  Abends  zwischen  den  und  auf  den  Bergen 


l-g. 


Gott  al  -  lein  ist    un  -  ser  Herr,  Er    al  -  leia' 

'  An     die  Abend  -  Sonne 


m 


:^=t 


Leb' wohl,  schone  Abendsonne.' 

The  most  beloved  of  all  these  spots,  the  situation  of  his 
favourite  inn  of  *The  f Three  Kavens,'  is  more  than  once 
referred  to  by  him  as  the  *  lovely,  divine,  Briihl,'  or,  in  his 
spelling,  'Briehr — 'schone  gottliche  Briehl.'  Every  summer 
he  took  refuge  from  the  heat  of  Vienna  in  the  delicious  wooded 
environs  of  Hetzendorf ,  Heiligenstadt,  or  Dobling,  at  that  time 

*  Zweite  Beethoveniana,  p.  137. 

f  Now  'The  Two  Ravens.'    The  Briihl  cannot  have  been  more  beautiful 
than  it  now  ib. 

Grove.— Beethoven's  Nine  Symphonies.— Novello's  Edition.      N 


186  SIXTH   SYMPHONY. 

little  villages  absolutely  in  the  country,  though  now  absorbed  in 
Vienna ;  or  in  Modling  or  Baden,  farther  off.  To  these,  and 
to  the  *  checi-ful  impressions  excited  by  his  arrival '  amongst 
them,  he  looked  forvard,  as  he  himself  says,  and  as  the  first 
movement  of  the  Symphony  shows,  '  with  the  delight  of  a 
child.'  ...  *  No  man  on  earth,'  says  he,  '  loves  the  country 
more  ;  woods,  trees,  and  rocks  give  the  response  which  man 
requires.'  '  Every  tree  seems  to  say  Holy,  Holy.'  Two  little 
memorandums,  written  when  his  delight  became  too  great  to 
be  repressed,  have  been  *preserved  by  Otto  Jahn.  The  first  is 
in  pencil  and  has  no  date ;  the  second  was  written  at  the  end 
of  September,  1815  : — 

•  AUmachtiger  *  O  Gott  welche 

im  Walde  Herrlichkeit 

ich  bin  selig  in  einer 

gliicklich    im  Bolchen  Waldgegend 

Wald  jeder  in  den  Hohen 

Baum  spricht  ist  Ruhe — 

durch  dich.'  Euhe  ihm  zd 

dienen — ' 

•  When  you  are  among  those  old  ruins,'  writes  he  to  a  dear 
ffriend  at  Baden,  *  do  not  forget  that  Beethoven  has  often 
lingered  there  ;  and  when  you  wander  through  the  silent  pine 
woods,  remember  that  I  have  often  made  poetry  (gedichtet),  or, 
as  they  say,  composed,  there.'  In  these  charming  places  he 
would  stay  out  of  doors  for  hours  together,  wandering  in  the 
woods  or  sitting  in  the  fork  of  some  favourite  tree ;  and  here  his 
great  works,  with  few  exceptions,  were  planned  and  com- 
posed, and  prepared  for  putting  into  score  during  the  winter 
in  Vienna.  Wordsworth's  servant  said  of  her  master  when 
asked  to  show  his  study:  'This  is  the  library  where  he 
keeps  his  books,  but  his  study  is  out  of  doors  ' ;  and  so 
might  Beethoven's  servant  have  said  of  him.  The  par- 
ticular spot  from  which   he   drew  his  inspiration   for  the 

♦  Tliayer,  iii.,  159.  t  To  Frau  Streicher,  1817. 


PROGRAMME -MUSIC.  187 

Pastoral  Symphony  was  the  Wiesenthal  near  Heiligenstadt, 
on  the  west  of  Vienna.* 

This  is  not  Beethoven's  first  attempt  at  'Programme- 
music  '  in  the  widest  sense  of  the  word — music  in  which  the 
endeavour  is  made  to  represent  a  given  scene  or  occurrence, 
by  the  aid  of  instruments  only,  without  the  help  of  voices. 
The  Eroica  Symphony  belongs  to  the  same  category.  It  is  a 
portrait,  but  the  extent  of  the  portraiture  is  left  so  vague  that 
we  are  driven  to  be  content  with  little  more  than  the  mere 
fact.  In  fact,  we  shall  find  from  several  of  his  entries  that 
Beethoven  was  always  anxious  to  avoid  anything  like  actual 
imitation  of  sounds  or  sights — anything,  in  short,  like  the 
'branching'  horns  of  the  stag,  the  tread  of  '  heavy  beasts,' 
or  the  undulations  of  the  serpent — in  which  Haydn  indulged 
in  the  *  Creation.'  The  '  Creation  '  had  only  been  brought 
out  a  few  years  before  the  date  at  which  we  have  arrived,  and 
was  more  talked  about  in  Vienna  than  any  other  work,  so 
that  it  is  hardly  fanciful  to  suppose  that  in  the  above 
cautions  Beethoven  had  his  eye  more  or  less  directly 
on  Haydn's  oratorio.  But  the  Pastoral  Symphony  is  a 
great  advance  on  the  vagueness  of  the  •  Eroica ' ;  it  is  a 
series  of  pictures  of  Nature  and  natural  scenes,  so  far 
labelled  as  to  assist  greatly  in  ihe  recognition.  That 
was  nearly  ninety  years  ago,  and  it  is  stiU  undoubtedly  the 
greatest  piece  of  programme-music  yet  composed.  Titles 
are  now  the  rule  rather  than  the  exception,  and  we  are  so 
accustomed  to  the  *  Italian '  and  *  Scotch '  Symphonies  of 
Mendelssohn ;  the  Overtures  to  *  A  Midsummer  Night's 
Dream,'  *  Fingal's  Cave,'  *  Calm  Sea  and  Prosperous  Voyage,' 
by  the   same  composer ;  the  *  Consecration  of  Sound '   and 

•  Seasons  '   Symphonies  by   Spohr  ;    the  *  Lenore  '  and  the 

*  Forest  Symphony  '  of  Raff ;  the  '  Paradise  and  Peri '  Overture 
of  Sterndale  Bennett,  &c.,  as  to  forget  how  modern  the 
practice  is,  as  applied  to  the  full  orchestra — a  thing  of  our 

*  See  the  spot  discussed  in  Zweite  Beeihoveniana,  p.  377. 


188  SIXTH    SYMPHONY. 

own  century.  Like  most  musical  innovations  that  have  kept 
their  ground,  though  it  did  not  originate  in  Beethoven — for 
instances  are  found  as  early  as  1545,  the  date  of  Jannequin's 
'La  Bataille,'  and  many  readers  will  still  recollect  the  '  Battle 
of  Prague  '  and  the  '  Siege  of  Valenciennes  ' — it  was  at  least 
first  successfully  practised  by  him.  Numerous  as  are  the 
pieces  with  programmes,  dating  before  1808,  it  may  be  safely 
said  that  the  Pastoral  Symphony  is  the  first  which  has 
survived  in  public  taste.  But  such  is  the  force  of  Beethoven's 
genius  that  after  he  had  once  opened  the  path,  there  was  no 
help  but  to  follow  it.  When  Frederick  Schneider,  a  stout  old 
musical  Tory,  was  complaining  (says  Schubring)  of  the  modern 
tendency  to  programme  music,  Mendelssohn  maintained  that 
since  Beethoven  had  taken  the  step  he  did  in  the  Pastoral 
Symphony,  it  was  impossible  to  keep  clear  of  it.  And 
Mendelssohn  carried  his  convictions  into  practice  in  the 
glorious  programme-overtures  just  named,  which  bid  fair  to 
maintain  their  ground  as  long  as  the  Pastoral  Symphony 
itself. 

In  the  Pastoral  Symphony  Beethoven  has  fortunately 
indicated  the  images  which  were  before  his  mind  by  the 
titles  prefixed  to  the  movements  ;  though  even  these,  with 
admirable  intuition  and  judgment,  he  has  restricted  by  the 
canon  with  which  he  heads  the  description  of  the  Symphony 
given  in  the  programme  of  his  concert  of  December  22nd, 
1808,  when  it  was  first  produced,  a  canon  fixing  for  ever  the 
true  principles  of  such  compositions  :  '  Pastoral  Symphonie ; 
mehr  Ausdruck  der  Empfindung  als  Malerey  ' — *  more  expres- 
sion of  feeling  than  painting,'  or,  to  render  it  freely,  *  rather 
the  record  of  impressions  than  any  actual  representation  of 
facts.' 

The  inscriptions  which  form  so  very  unusual  and  important 
a  portion  of  the  work  exist  at  least  in  four  shapes,  and  give  a 
curious  example  of  Beethoven's  vacillation  when  he  had  the 
pen  in  his  hand.     Once  get  him  to  the  piano,  and  his  thoughts 


THE   AUTOGRAPHS.  189 

Beem  to  have  issued  through  his  fingers  in  the  most  complete 
and  electrifying  manner;  but  when  he  had  to  write  it  was  quite 
different,  and  these  titles  supply  a  very  characteristic  instance 
of  the  impossibihty  which  he  found  in  putting  down  his  ideas 
in  a  shape  satisfactory  to  himself,  Ldtera  scripta  manet  is  a 
maxim  which  was  of  terrible  force  to  him. 

These  precious  httle  documents  are  found,  as  has  been  said, 
in  at  least  four  forms  : — 

I.  In  the  original  MS.  of  the  Symphony,  in  the  possession 
of  Baron  J.  M.  Huyssen  van  Kattendyke,  of  Arnhem,  near 
Utrecht,  in  Holland.  Of  this  I  can  find  no  notice  beyond  that 
in  Nottebohm's  Thematisches  Verzeichniss  of  Beethoven's  works 
(1868),  page  62  :— '  Sinf**  6**.  Da  Luigi  van  Beethoven. 
Angenehme  heitre  Empfindungen  welche  bey  der  Ankunft 
auf  dem  Lande  in  Menschen  erwa — All°-  ma  non  troppo — 
nicht  ganz  geschwind — N.B.,  Die  deutschen  Ueberschriften 
schreiben  Sie  alle  in  die  erste  Violine — Sinfonie  von  Ludwig  van 
Beethoven.'  These  words  are  apparently  copied  from  the  first 
page  of  the  MS.  only. 

II.  On  the  back  of  an  original  MS.  first  violin  part, 
preserved  in  the  library  of  the  Gesellschaft  der  Mmlkfreimde 
in  Vienna — and  which  may  be  supposed  to  be  an  exact  repeti- 
tion of  the  inscriptions  on  the  score,  as  it  is  the  work  of  a 
copyist  simply  obeying  Beethoven's  injunction,  given  iu  No.  I. 
above — we  find  as  follows.     First,  as  general  title  : — 

'  Sinfonia  Pastorella.  Pastoral  Sinfonie  oder  Erinnerung 
an  das  Landleben  |:  Mehr  Ausdruck  der  Empfindung  als 
Mahlerei  :  T  ;  and  then  over  each  separate  movement : — 

1st.  '  Angenehme  heitre  Empfindungen,  welche  bey  der 
Ankunft  auf  dem  Lande  im  Menschen  erwachen.  Allegro  ma 
non  troppo.' 

2nd.  '  Scene  am  Bach.  Andante  molto  moto  quasi  Alle- 
gretto.' 


190  eiXTH    SYMPHONY. 

8rd. '  Lnstige3  Zusammenseyn  der  Landleute.     Allegro.' 
4tli.  •  Donner,  Sturm.     Allegro.' 

6th.  *  Hirtengesang.    Wohlthiitige  mit  Dank  an  die  Gottlieit 
verbundene  Gefiible  nach  dem  Sturm.     Allegretto.' 
The  above  is  found  in  Zweite  Beethoveniana,  p.  378. 

III.  As  inserted  in  the  programme-book  of  the  first 
performance,  December  22,  1808,  and  published  in  the  Allg. 
musikalische  Zeitung,  January  25,  1809,  thus  : — 

*  Pastoral  Symphonie  *(No.  5),  mehr  Ausdruck  der  Em- 
pfindung,  als  Malerey.  Istes  Stiick :  Angenehmene  Empfin- 
dungen,  welche  bey  der  Ankunft  auf  dem  Lande  in  Menschen 
erwachen.  2tes  Stiick :  Scene  am  Bach.  3tes  Stiick :  Lustigea 
Beysammenseyn  der  Landleute ;  fallt  ein  :  4tes  Stiick :  Donner 
und Sturm;  in  welches einfallt :  5tes  Stiick:  Wohlthatige mit 
Dank  an  die  Gottheit  verbundene  Gefiihle  nach  dem  Sturm.' 

IV.  As  given  on  the  back  of  the  title-page  of  the  engraved 
first  violin  part  (No.  1,337),  published  by  Breitkopfs  in  April, 
1809,  and  quoted  by  Nottebohm  in  his  Beethoven  Thematic 
Catalogue  of  1868,  page  62,  thus  : — 

•  Auf  der  Eiickseite  des  Titels  der  ersten  Violinstimme  steht : 
Pastoral- Sinfonie  oder  Erinnerung  an  das  Landleben  (mehr 
Ausdruck  der  Empfindung  als  Mahlerey).  1.  Allegro,  ma  non 
molto.  Erwachen  heiterer  Empfindungen  bey  der  Ankunft 
auf  dem  Lande. — 2.  Andante  con  moto.  Scene  am  Bach. — 3. 
Allegro.  Lustiges  Zusammenseyn  der  Landleute. — 4.  Allegro. 
Gewitter,  Sturm. — 5.  Allegretto.  Hirtengesang.  Frohe  und 
dankbare  Gefiihle  nach  dem  Sturm.'  These  are  translated  in 
the  list  at  the  head  of  these  remarks. 

V.  With  the  foregoing  agree  the  titles  in  the  8vo  score 
published  by  Breitkopfs  in  182-4  (No,  4,311),  except  that  the 
general  title  is  altered  as  given  above  at  the  beginning,  the 


*  The  second  part  of  the  programme  begins  with  *  Grosse  Symphonie  in 
C  moll  (No.  6>.' 


knecht's  pastokal  symphony.  191 

important  motto  omitted,  and  the  inscriptions  to  the  separate 
movements  only  given. 

These  five  ultimate  expressions  of  his  intentions  in  words 
are  the  fruit  of  several  attempts  or  offers,  which  occur  in  the 
sketch-books,*  and  are  too  interesting  not  to  be  quoted  here. 
Thus  :— 

*  The  hearers  should  be  allowed  to  discover  the  situa- 

tions.' 

*  Sinfonia    caracteristica,   or    a   recollection    of    country- 

life.' 

*  A  recollection  of  country -life.' 

*  All  painting  in  instrumental  music,  if  pushed  too  far,  is  a 

failure.' 

*  Sinfonia  pastorella.   Anyone  who  has  an  idea  of  country- 

life  can  make  out  for  himself  the  intentions  of  the  author 
without  many  titles.' 
•People  will  not  require  titles  to  recognise  the  general 
intention  to  be  more  a  matter  of  feeling  than  of  painting 
in  sounds.' 

*  Pastoral  Symphony :  no  picture,  but  something  in  which 

the  emotions  are  expressed  which  are  aroused  in  men  by 

the  pleasure  of  the  country  (or),  in  which  some  feelings 

of  country -life  are  set  forth.' 

The  titles  finally   given  to   the  movements  of  the  work 

are  curiously  similar  to — indeed  they  are  virtually  identical 

with — those  of    a   '  grand    Symphony '   by  Justin  Heinrich 

Knecht,  a  Suabian  composer  of  the  last  century.      This  iy 

*  The  Musical  Portrait  of  Nature,'  published  in  or  about  1784, 

by  Bossier,   of  Spire,  who   also   issued   at   the   same   date 

Beethoven's  earliest  productions,  the  three  juvenile  Sonatas 

for  the  piano.     The  two  works — Knecht's  and  Beethoven's — 

were  advertised  on  the  same  page,  and  the  boy  must  often 

have  read  Knecht's  suggestive   titles   on   the   cover  of    his 

*  Zw&ite  Beethoveniana,  pp.  375,  504. 


192  SIXTH   SYMPHONY. 

own  sonatas.  If  so,  they  lay  dormant  in  his  mind  for 
twenty-four  years,  until  1808,  when  they  fructified  in  the 
splendid  Symphony  now  before  us.  Knecht's  title-page  is  as 
follows : — 

*  Le  Portrait  Musical  de  la  Nature  ou  Grande  Simphonie 
pour,  &c.,  &c.  Laquelle  va  exprimer  par  le  moyen  des 
sons : 

*  1.  Une  belle  Contr^e  oii  le  Soleil  luit,  les  doux  Zephyrs 
voltigent,  les  Ruisseaux  traversent  le  vallon,  les  oiseaux 
gazouillent,  un  torrent  tombe  du  haut  en  murmurant,  le  berger 
siffle,  les  moutons  sautent,  et  la  bergere  fait  entendre  sa  douce 
Toix. 

'  2.  Le  ciel  commence  h  devenir  soudain  et  sombre,  tout  le 
voisinage  a  de  la  peine  de  respirer  et  s'effraye,  les  nuages  noirs 
montent,  les  vents  se  mettent  k  faire  un  bruit,  le  tonnerre 
gronde  de  loin,  et  I'orage  approche  a  pas  lents. 

*  3.  L'orage  accompagne  des  vents  murmurans  et  des  pluies 
battans  gronde  avec  toute  la  force,  les  sommets  des  arbres 
font  un  murmure,  et  le  torrent  roule  ses  eaux  avec  un  bruit 
^pouvantable. 

*  4.  L'orage  s'appaise  peu  a  peu,  les  nuages  se  dissipent  et 
le  ciel  devient  clair. 

'  5.  La  Nature  transportee  de  la  joie  eleve  sa  voix  vers  le  ciel, 
et  rend  au  createur  les  plus  vives  graces  par  des  chants  doux  et 
agreables.V 

The  work  is  still  in  existence,  and  an  examination  of  it 
shows  that  beyond  the  titles  there  is  no  likeness  between 
the  two  compositions. 

We  may  now  proceed  to  the  examination  of  this  masterpiece 
of  Beethoven's ; — 

I.  The  Symphony  opens  without  other  introduction  or 
preliminary  than  a  double  pedal  on  F  and  C  in  the  violas  and 
cellos— with  the  principal  theme  in  the  violins,  as  sweet  and 


THE  ALLEGRO.      THE   PRINCIPAL   SUBJECT. 


193 


fioft  as  the  air  of  May  itself,  with  buds  and  blossoms  and 
new -mown  grass  : — 

No.  1. 


Allegro  ma  non  troppo. 
Viol.  1. 


m. 


P  strings  only 


^ 


^^? 


^ 


^ji^ngz-zm. 


'-r-i. 


t=i=^- 


U-i- 


^^^ 


2i- 


Ceilos^ 


This  beautiful  subject  may  almost  be  said  to  contain  in  its 
own  bosom  the  whole  of  the  wonderful  movement  which  it 
starts,  and  which  is  512  bars  long.  As  the  piece  proceeds 
each  joint,  so  to  speak,  of  the.  theme  germinates,  and  throws 
off  phrases  closely  related  to  the  parent  stem  in  rhythm  or 
interval.  It  would  be  difficult  to  find  in  Art  a  greater  amount 
of  confidence,  not  to  say  audacity,  than  Beethoven  has 
furnished  by  his  incessant  repetition  of  the  same  or  similar 
short  phrases  throughout  this  long  movement ;  and  yet  the 
effect  is  such  that  when  the  end  arrives,  we  would  gladly  hear 
it  all  over  again.  The  Violin  Concerto  gives  another  example 
of  the  same  practice.  As  an  instance  of  this  boldness  in 
repetition  in  the  Symphony,  we  may  quote  a  phrase  of  five 
notes,  formed  out  of  theme  No.  1 : — 


194 


SIXTH    SYMPHONY. 


which  first  occurs  at  the  sixteenth  bar,  and  is  then  repeated 
no  less  than  ten  times  successively.  At  the  116th  bar  a 
somewhat  similar  phrase — 


No.  3. 


^^^M 


w 


is  reiterated  for  twenty  bars.    Near  the  end  of  the  first  section 
are  another  twelve — 


No.  4. 

Str. 


I  dim.  sempre. 


i^i^gS#^^^ 


Viola  pp  Cello  8va, 


After  the  repeat,  at  bar  thirteen  of  the  working-out,  another 
subject,  also  formed  out  of  the  first  theme — 


P  cres.  poco  a  poco. 


is  given  out  by  the  violins,  is  repeated  for  thirty-six  bars,  and 
is  thenceforward  almost  continually  present.  (This,  by-the- 
bye,  is  quoted  by  Schindler  as  being  a  phrase  of  national 
Austrian*  melody.)  In  fact,  the  movement  is  almost  entirely 
made  of  rhort  ■;  lirases  repeated  over  and  over  again.  Even 
BO  simple  a  feature  as — 


^S± 


is  made  to  recur  continually — in  fact,  something  very  like 


*  An  instance  of  Beethoven's  adontion  of  a  tlieme  not  his  own  invention. 


PERSISTENT   RHYTHMS. 


195 


it  appears  in  the  first  *sketch  of  the  music  known  to  exist. 
I  believe  that  the  delicious,  natural,  May-day,  out-of-doors 
feeling  of  this  movement  arises  in  a  great  measure  from  this 
kind  of  repetition.  It  causes  a  monotony — which,  however, 
is  never  monotonous — and  which,  though  no  imitation,  is  akin 
to  the  constant  sounds  of  Nature — the  monotony  of  rustling 
leaves  and  swaying  trees,  and  running  brooks  and  blowing 
wind,  the  call  of  birds  and  the  hum  of  insects.  Of  the  same 
nature  is  this  delicious  mockery  of  the  bassoon  and  the  violin 
in  the  working-out  section — 


No.  6. 


Violin 


Another  instance  of  a  similar  persistent  rhythm  is  the 
following  subsidiary  subject,  where  the  string  and  wind 
instruments  answer  each  other  in  charming  soft  rivalry — 


No.  7. 

S 

^£? 

Oboe  dolce 

4^ 

^ 

£^^^^ 

^«-* 

^Sjgl* 

m^ — ^^^     '*'  t— 

/ 

H^T*|  lU: 

A  temporary  exception  to  this  recurring  motion  is  formed 
by  the  second  subject  proper  of  the  movement,  given  out  thus 
in  the  cellos — 


Zweite  Beethoveniana,  p.  370. 


196  SIXTH   SYMPHONY. 

and  then  appearing  in  instruments  of  higher  register — 


No.  9. 


Flute  cres. 


Viol.  crea. 


a  subject  which,  though  allied  to  the  others  in  tone  and 
feeling,  is  in  different  rhythm.  The  manner  in  which  the 
long  notes  of  this  beautiful  phrase  keep  building  themselves 
up  one  over  the  other,  and  the  monotony  into  which  it  falls  at 
last  without  power  to  escape,  in  the  arpeggios,  are  too  charming. 
But  with  all  this  repetition  there  is  no  weariness.  Though  he 
may  not  have  known  the  axiom  of  d'Alembert,  'La  natm-e  est 
bonne  a  imiter,  mais  non  pas  jusqu'a  I'ennui,'  Beethoven 
acted  on  it  thoroughly.  Indeed,  he  is  steeped  in  Nature 
itself;  and  when  the  sameness  of  fields,  woods,  and  streams 
can  become  distasteful,  then  will  the  Pastoral  Symphony 
weary  its  hearers. 

The  working-out  begins  with  a  passage  or  section  of  ninety- 
two  bars,  mainly  consisting  of  the  incessant  repetition  of  a 
phrase  taken  from  bar  two  of  the  original  subject  No.  1  (see 
also  No.  5) — or,  rather,  of  one  passage  of  forty- six  bars, 
exactly  repeated,  first  in  B  flat  and  D,  and  then  in  G  and  E. 
Thus  the  monotony  already  noticed  is  still  further  ministered 
to.  But  this  portion  is  full  of  fresh  beauties,  all  strictly  in 
character  with  the  foregoing.  Here  is  a  charming  change, 
though  simple  enough — 


No.  lO. 


ALLEGRO.      THE   WORKING-OUT, 

-and  here  a  delicious  point — 


197 


No.  U. 


Viol.  1. 


Viol.  2, 


Then,  after  a  repetition  of  the  passage  last  quoted,  in  the 
key  of  A,  comes  a  new  treatment  of  bars  9,  10,  11  of  the  first 
theme  (No.  1),  given  successively  in  the  flutes  and  bassoons 
(in  D),  in  the  violas  and  cellos  (in  A),  and  next  (which  we 
quote)  in  the  first  violin  only — 


In  this,  by  giving  the  phrase  in  minor,  and  by  a  happy 
importunity  of  sforzando  at  the  beginning  of  the  sections  of 
the  phrase,  quite  a  new  character  is  given  to  the  familiar 
theme,  as  it  whispers  its  tender  griefs  in  graceful  iteration. 
After  this  we  arrive  at  the  reprise  of  the  first  section  of  the 
movement.  But  this  last  is  much  disguised,  and  is  given — 
not  con  alcune  licenze  like  the  fugue  of  Op.  106,  but  with  many 

•  This  B  flat  is  specially  marked  in  the  score. 


198 


SIXTH    SYMPHONY. 


a  license.  The  key  of  F  is  given  with  no  uncertain  sound  ; 
but  the  form  of  the  subject,  though  unmistakable,  is  consider- 
ably modified.  The  theme  comes  back  into  the  strings  alono, 
which  originally  announced  it ;  but  the  phrase  is  given  to  the 
second  violins  and  violas  (see  bar  3  of  quotation),  while  the 
first  fiddles  sustain  a  high  D,  then  C,  and  then,  descending 
to  G, 


No.  13. 


TfV- ^ 3ri-— i-r-?-> 

^ 

— 4 

1 — l- 

— h 

ppatac.                                   -  ^  w 

1 J-- 1    ^ 

&0. 

f="         -i_ 

puz. 

- 

execute  a  dehcate  passage  of  staccato  notes,  thus  developing 
the  pause  which,  on  the  first  occasion,  occupied  the  fourth  bar 
of  the  passage  (see  No.  1)  into  one  of  the  most  charming 
flourishes  possible,  and  forming  a  sort  of  companion  to  the 
unbarred  oboe  passage,  which  we  noticed  in  the  working- 
out  of  the  C  minor  Symphony  as  the  development  of  a 
previous  pause,  though  of  an  entirely  different  complexion 
from  that  striking  lament.  That  was  deeply  pathetic ; 
this,  on  the  contrary,  though  delicate,  is  jubilant  and  full 
of  the  spring  feeling  which  animates  the  whole  move- 
ment. 


THE   CODA.       SCHUMANN  S   SUGGESTION. 


199 


The  Coda  (no  less  than  nmety-five  bars  in  length)  is  of  the 
same  general  character  as  the  previous  part  of  the  movement, 
but  contains  some  new  features,  such  as — 


No.  14. 


^L^-.. 


^f  ^  V^r±5^: 


VioLl 

Viola  h*C: 


— where  the  alternations  of  the  B  flat  and  B  natural  are 
charming.     This  also,  a  few  bars  from  the  end — 


No.  15. 


dolce 


Fag.  8ve. 


f  Tuttl 


will  not  escape  notice. 

Schumann  has  pointed*  out  a  place  in  the  first  movement 
(p.  35  of  the  original  8vo  score,  shortly  after  the  reprise)  in 
which  he  thinks  that  for  three  bars  in  the  first  violins  the 
preceding  triplet  figure  should  continue  instead  of  pausing, 
simili  marks  having  been  mistaken  by  the  copyist  for  rests. 
In  Breitkopf  and  Hartel's  new  complete  edition  the  passage 
has  been  accordingly  altered  (page  16),  though  without 
anything  to  indicate  the  change  which  has  been  made 
from    Beethoven's    original    edition.       This    certainly  is   a 


*Oesamm.  Schriften,  iv.,  65, 


200  SIXTH   SYMPHONY. 

regrettable  omission.  While  suggesting  the  change,  Schumann 
himself  makes  a  pertinent  remark.  He  says :  '  How  we  have 
gone  on  hearing  the  passage  for  years  without  altering  it,  is 
only  to  be  explained  by  the  fact  that  the  magic  of  Beethoven 
is  so  great  as  to  put  our  ears  and  our  judgment  to  sleep.' 
Someone  said  a  similar  thing  in  regard  to  the  apparent 
mistake  in  the  score  of  the  Vivace  of  No.  7,  which  was 
announced  by  Mr.  Silas  a  few  years  ago  (see  p.  268). 

If  Schindler's  express*  statement  is  to  be  accepted, 
Beethoven  was  driven  to  the  key  of  F  for  this  work.  After 
distinctly  affirming,  in  words  which  are  evidently  intended 
to  be  those  of  the  composer  himself,  that  certain  keys  are 
inevitable  for  certain  situations  and  emotions — as  inevitable 
as  that  two  and  two  make  four  and  do  not  make  five— he  goes 
on  to  say,  with  reference  to  this  very  work,  that  in  order  to 
obtain  the  most  appropriate  sounds  for  a  picture  of  country 
life,  it  would  have  been  impossible  to  choose  any  but  F  major 
as  the  prevalent  key  of  the  composition.  But  F  major  is 
also  the  prevalent  key  of  the  Eighth  Symphony,  the  scene, 
circumstances,  and  tone  of  which  are  entirely  different  from 
those  of  the  Pastoral.  This  depicts  the  quiet  of  the  country  ; 
that  the  noisy  intercourse  of  a  crowded  watering-place. 
Moreover,  in  the  few  notes  which  we  possess  of  the  sketches 
for  a  *  Senate  Pastorale,'  already  alluded  to,  the  key  is 
certainly  not  F.f 

Whether  Beethoven's  words  on  this  interesting  subject 
are  to  be  taken  literally,  or  whether,  with  characteristic  want 
of  the  humour  in  which  the  composer  was  steeped,  Schindler 
has  omitted  something  which  considerably  modified  the 
conversation,  cannot  now  be  told.  From  another  part  of  the 
same  passage  it  must  be  infe;-red  that  the  attributes  which 
Beethoven  ascribed  to  the  various  keys  were  independent  of 
pitch.     At  any  rate,  from  his  own  written  words,  we  know 

♦  Biography  (Ed.  3),  ii.,  166. 

t  bee  Zvoeite  Beeihoveniana,  p.  317. 


D   FLAT   MAJOR.      THE   ANDANTE. 


201 


tliat  his  opinions  on  the  subject  were  very  strong.  *  H  moll 
schwarze  Tonart ' — B  minor  is  a  black  key — which  is  hardly 
the  characteristic  of  Schubert's  unfinished  Symphony.  He 
rebukes  Thomson,  of  Edinburgh,  for  marking  a  song  in  four 
flats  (possibly  F  minor)  as  amoroso,  and  says  it  should  be 
rather  barbaresco.  In  talking  to  Eochhtz*  of  his  early 
admiration  for  Klopstock  and  his  ponderosities,  he  charac- 
terises them  as  D  flat  major.  *  You're  astonished,'  says  he, 
*  but  isn't  it  so  ?  ' 


II.  Andante  molto  moto . — 'By  the  brook.'  This  movement — 
which  is  thrown  into  the  same  form  as  the  Allegro ^  except 
that  there  is  no  repetition  of  the  first  section — h  based  on  a 
somewhat  more  definite  picture  than  the  former.  That 
represented  in  a  general  manner  the  pleasant  feelings  aroused 
by  the  country.  This  is  definitely  laid  by  the  brook-side,  and 
accordingly  the  murmur  of  the  water,  or,  rather,  in  obedience 
to  Beethoven's  canon,  the  prevailing  impression  made  on  the 
mind  by  the  sound,  is  heard  throughout  almost  the  entire 
piece  on  the  lower  strings,  either  in  quavers — 


Viola  Q 

Cello  in  8ves 


or  m  semiquavers — 

No.  17. 


The   actual   sound   of  running  water,  whether  the  same 
brook  or  another,  he  has  recorded  in  a  sketch-bookt  of  1803, 


*  Filr  Freunde  der  Tonkunst,  iv.,  .Soe. 
t  See   *  Fin  Skizzenbuch  aits  dem  Jahre  1803  . 
1880.'  p.  56. 

Grove.— Beethoven's  Niae  Symphonies.— Novello's  Edition.       O 


von  G.  Nottebohm, 


202 


SIXTH    SYMPHONY. 


at  a  time  when  his  hearing,  though  threatened,  was  better 
than  it  became  in  1808 — as  folloAVS — 


No.  IS. 

Andante  molto.    Murmur  of  the  brook. 


Imo. 


^. 


Mo. 


The  more  water  the  deeper  the  tone. 


<&c. 


It  will  be  observed  that  in  the  Andante  Beethoven  has 
changed  the  key  of  the  figure  representing  the  noise  of  the 
water  from  what  it  was  when  he  actually  observed  it.  And 
this  no  doubt  he  has  done  to  avoid  anything  like  actual  imi- 
tation. The  brook  forms  the  background  of  the  scene ;  but 
aboTv3and  through  the  ceaseless  murmur  of  the  figures  in  Nos.  16 
and  17  are  heard  various  motifs,  none  of  them  directly  imita- 
tive, but  all  suggesting  the  delights  of  the  life  of  Nature. 
And  beside  these  Beethoven  has  managed,  with  the  most 
extraordinary  skill,  to  fill  his  score  with  an  atmosphere 
of  sound  which  conveys  the  glories  of  summer,  and  the  busy 
*  noise  of  life  '  swarming  on  every  sense.  The  first  of  these 
motifs — the  principal  subject  of  the  movement  with  which  it 
opens  in  the  first  violins— begins  as  follows;  to  end  (as 
Beethoven  generally  ended)  in  a  lovely  consecutive  melody — 
that  of  the  last  three  bars  of  the  passage — 


No.  19 

Viol.  1. 


^  ^  -I  i-i:g:i  1^'^fg  1-^  r- 1>-  '^'^'^f^^^ir^^^Sj  I-  -1^=-^  1  |*.rrr^ 


THE  SHAKES.   GLUCK  S  ORPHEB 


203 


This  is  supported  by  the  lower  strkigs,  in  the  figure  given 
as  No.  16,  and  by  holding  notes  of  the  horns.  The  melody 
is  then  taken  by  the  clarinet,  the  lower  strings  adopting  the 
semiquaver  figure  (No.  17),  while  the  first  violins  give  a 
series  of  shakes  on  the  upper  B  flat  and  0,  and  the  horns  a 
syncopated  pedal  of  a  charming  vagueness — 


No.  20 


both  shakes  and  pedal  being  prominent  features  throughout 
the  Andante.  The  syncopated  notes  of  the  pedal  are  heard 
continually  through  the  movement,  in  bassoons,  oboes,  and 
other  instruments  successively.  The  shakes,  and  the  grace 
notes  in  the  quotation,  bear  an  important  part,  as  they  some- 
how suggest  heat.  It  is  curious  that  Gluck  in  the  beautiful 
air,  'Quelle  belle  jour,'  in  'Orphee,'  sung  in  the  brilliant  sun- 
light of  Elysium,  uses  a  similar  expedient,  with  a  similar  result. 
Next  we  have  the  following  elegant  phrase,  given  out,  like 
those  just  quoted,  in  the  first  violin — 


dolce 


204 


SIXTH    SYMPHONTt. 


the  graceful  and  soothing  flow  of  which  is  immecliately  re- 
peated by  the  clarinet,  while  an  accompaniment  is  added  above 
for  the  first  violin,  with  the  bassoon  and  cello  in  octaves — 


No.  22. 


^£ 


Violin  1 


W 


1  ^^    1 


Cello  &  Fag.  in  8va. 
Clar. 


^^^^^m 


i^=^ 


^^^^^^^m 


gg^^i    u>t 


This  two-bar  phrase  has  a  highly  important  part  assigned 
to  it  at  the  close  of  the  movement  (see  a,  No.  31).  After  four 
connecting  bars,  the  first  subject  (No.  19)  is  resumed, 
but  with  a  delicious  difference,  as  the  quotation  (at  a)  will 
show — 


No.  23. 

Viol.  1 


For  this  the  music  modulates  into  the  key  of  F,  the 
syncopated  pedal  is  taken  by  the  horns,  bassoons,  flutes,  and 
clarinets,  and  by  the  flutes,  oboes,  clarinets,  and  bassoons 


ANDANTE.       THE    SECOND    SUBJECT. 


205 


alternately ;  and  the  second  part  is  ornamented  with  figures, 
the  lazy  grace  of  which  well  befits  the  summer  climate  that 
breathes  around  us,  and  seems  indeed  to  hum — 

The  murmur  of  a  happy  Pan. 


These  delicious  phrases  will  remind  the  hearer  irresistibly 
of  the  similar  ^ures  in  the  Larghetto  of  the  Second  Symphony 
(see  No.  15,  page  29). 

Thus  at  length,  after  twelve  connecting  bars,  we 
arrive  at  the  second  principal  subject  of  the  movement. 
This  is  of  the  same  graceful,  deliberate  character  as  the 
others — 


No.  26. 


It  is  brought  in  first  by  the  rich  tone  of  the  first  bassoon — 
never  perhaps  to  more  advantage  ;  it  is  shortly  strengthened 
by  the  violas  and  cellos,  and  accompanied  by  the  shakes  which 
added  such  a  summer  feehng  to  the  first  subject  (see  No.  20). 
It  is  then,  m  a  shortened  form,  repeated  by  the  first  violii^ 


206 


SIXTH   SYMPHONY. 


and  flute  with  the  accompaniment    of  the  initial  figure  of 
No.  19— 


No.  26. 


I 


Viol.  l&Fl.l..-'  --r--        I 


>  J-' — -JT2^'<JJ^^' 


^^ 


Viola' 

CeUo|jiL    J. 
•pizz. 


rr 


Viola 


gg 


L^^^..^. 


^^-A ^~* 


&c. 


^ 


pizz.  "I 

With  two  repetitions  of  the  haunting  phrase  quoted  as  No.  21 
the  first  portion  of  the  Andante  comes  to  an  end.  The  same 
principle  of  reiteration  governs  this  movement  that  we  found 
prevailing  in  the  Allegro.  True  there  are  more  themes,  but 
they  are,  as  a  rule,  so  alike  in  character  that  they  have  aU 
the  air  of  repetitions. 

The  working-out  begins  with  a  repetition  of  the  opening,  but 
with  considerable  differences.  The  key  is  F  ;  the  undulating 
figure,  which  before  formed  the  accompaniment  on  the  lower 
strings,  is  given  to  the  clarinets  and  bassoons  in  octaves, 
while  the  lower  strings  have  the  semiquaver  version  of  the 
same  figure,  and  the  characteristic  phrase  of  the  first  half 
of  the  theme  (No.  19)  is  enriched  in  form.  This  will  be  seen 
from  the  following  quotation — 


ANDANTE.      THE   WORKING-OUT. 


207 


Next  we  have  a  new  phrase  in  the  second  violins  and  violas, 
repeated  by  the  flute  in  the  key  of  G,  and  with  an  arpeggio 
which  is  not  only  lovely  in  itself  and  in  the  modulation 
which  follows  it,  but  has  a  special  interest  of  its  own,  as  will 
be  discovered  later  (see  page  211) ; — 


Nol 


VI.  2  &  Violas  in  8ves. 


Fl.  1.  cri 


Oboe 


m 


&c. 


Oboe 


VI.  1.&  Viola  8va. 


r^ 


m. 


ip  .,  ^  «,  ;^  J--'-^J  l^'^J, 


^ 


—  &0. 


T — 

These  materials  and  the  previous  themes  and  phrases  are 
used  in  the  most  masterly  way,  with  great  contrivance  and 
combination,  and  considerable  modulation,  through  the  keys 
of  E  flat,  C  flat,  E  minor,  and  B  flat,  but  without  casting  the 
least  shadow  of  labour  or  science  over  the  natural  feeling  of 
the  music.  The  shakes,  to  which  we  have  more  than  once 
called  attention,  lose  none  of  their  warm  feeling  when  they 
are  given  thus — 


No,  29. 


With  the  key  of  B  flat  comes  the  inevitable  recapitulation  of 


208 


BIXTH    SYMPHONi.'. 


the  first  part  of  the  movement.  The  melody  is  now  given  to  tlie 
flute,  the  accompaniment  in  the  lower  strings  remains  much 
as  before,  but  great  use  is  made  of  the  arpeggios  in  the  first 
violins  and  the  wind.  There  is  also  much  enrichment  of  the 
melodies,  such  as — 


^7ijy^^^ 


The  second  subject  (again  in  the  bassoon,  but  this  time  in 
the  key  of  F)  arrives  much  sooner  than  it  did  before.  It  is 
not  necessary  to  go  into  further  details,  everything  is  in 
perfect  keeping,  and  to  comment  upon  such  beauty  is  to 
gild  refined  gold.  The  Coda  is  not  long,  but  is  very  remark- 
able. After  seven  bars  occur  the  imitations,  or  rather  carica- 
tures, of  the  nightingale,  quail,  and  cuckoo,  which  have 
become  so  celebrated,  and,  with  the  storm,  always  form  the 
popular  points  in  the  work.  Beethoven  w^ould  probably  be 
surprised  if  he  could  know  what  favourites  these  birds  are,  and 
with  how  many  hearers  they  are  more  enjoyed  than  the  other 
portions  of  the  Symphony,  with  which  they  really  hold  no 
comparison.  In  the  programmes  of  the  Conservatoire,  at  Paris, 
they  were,  and  probably  are,  called  special  attention  to,  and 
Langage  des  oiseaux  is  added  to  Beethoven's  simple  title.  He  has 
himself  told  us  that  the  passage  is  intended  for  a  joke.*  But  it 
was  hardly  necessary  to  say  so.  It  is  obvious  that  the  passage, 
eight  bars  in  length — in  which  they  really  are  only  an  episode, 
with  no  part  in  the  construction  of  the  movement — is  one  of 
those  droll  capricious  interpolations  which  we  have  noticed 


*  *  MU  denen  soil  es  nur  Scherz  sein.'    Schindler.  i.,  154. 


ANDANTE.      THE   BIRDS. 


209 


in  each  Symphony,  from  the  second  onward,  put  in  in 
obedience  to  the  promptings  of  his  turbulent  humour,  and 
in  defiance  of  any  consideration  but  his  own  absolute  will. 
It  is  more  wilful  and  defiant  here  than  ever,  because  it  is 
more  strange,  and  also  because  it  is  more  realistic,  more  in 
direct  transgression  of  the  canon  against  mere  ^malerei,' 
which  Beethoven  placed  at  the  head  of  his  work,  and  which  we 
have  already  quoted.  But  surely  he  may  be  excused ;  the 
constant  intimate  contact  of  his  divine  strains  with  Nature 
may  well  have  bewitched  his  judgment,  and,  as  if  by  mis- 
take, guided  his  mind  to  a  too  realistic  passage,  in  contra- 
vention to  the  strict  principle  he  formerly  announced.  Indeed 
the  parody  is  of  the  broadest  and  barest  description  ;  a  prac- 
tical joke  of  the  most  open  kind.  And  yet  how  the  artist 
triumphs  over  the  humorist  I  How  completely  are  the  raw 
travesties  of  nightingale,  quail,  and  cuckoo  atoned  for  and 
brought  into  keeping  by  the  lovely  phrase  {a,  see  example  21) 
with  which  Beethoven  has  bound  them  together,  and  made 
them  one  with  the  music  which  comes  before  and  after 
them — 


No.  SI. 


I  Nightingale  (Flute) 


QuaU  (Oboe)  r. 


Just  so  in  the  equally  anomalous  arabesques  of  Oriental  and 
Renaissance  art  do  the  feet  and  tails  of  the  birds  and 
dragons  and  children,  which  play  among  the  leaves,  run  oQ 
into  lovely  tendrils,  cm-ving  gracefully  round,  and  connecting 


210 


SIXTH   SYMPHONY. 


the  too-definite  forms  from  which  they  spring  with  the  vaguer 
foliage  all  round.  Two  of  these  birds  Beethoven  has  else- 
where imitated — the  nightingale  in  the  opening  of  his  setting 
of  Herder's*  Song,  *  Der  Gesang  der  Nachtigal,'  in  1813,  five 
years  after  the  date  of  the  Symphony — 


No.  82. 


To  the  quail  he  has  devoted  a  song,  '  Der  Wachtelsclilag,'t 
in  which  the  bird's  note  is  set  to  the  words  with  which  it  is 
traditionally  associated  in  Germany — '  fiirchte  Gott,  fiirchte 
Gott.'  Of  the  cuckoo,  nothing  need  be  said.  A  fourth  bird — 
the  yellow-hammer — has  been  suggested  as  taking  an  integral 
part  in  the  second  portion  of  the  movement,  and  this  on  the 
strength  of  a  conversation  between  Schindler  and  the  composer, 
reported  in  Schindler's  biography  of  Beethoven  (i.,  153).  It 
occurred  in  the  summer  of  1823,  long  after  the  great  composer 
had  become  entirely  deaf,  during  a  stroll  in  the  wooded 
meadows  between  Heiligenstadt  and  Grinzing,  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  Vienna,  the  scene  of  the  conception  of  this  and 
many  others  of  his  finest  works.  The  passage  gives  a  touching 
picture,  for  which  its  insertion  may  be  pardoned.  *  Seating 
himself  on  the  turf,'  says  Schindler,  '  and  leaning  against  an 
elm,  Beethoven  asked  me  if  there  were  any  yellow-hammers  to 
be  heard  in  the  tree  above  us.    But  all  was  still.    He  then  said, 


*  The  song  vras  first  published  in  the  supplemental  volume  of  Breitkopf  s 
great  edition  of  Beethoven,  in  1887,  Serie  25,  No.  277. 

+  Composed  in  1799  and  published  in  :\rarch,  1804  ;  words  by  Sauter.     So« 
Nottebohra,  Thematisches  Verzeichniss,  p.  179. 


THE   YELLOW-HAMMER.  211 

"  This  is  where  I  wrote  the  Scene  by  the  Brook,  while  the 
yellow-hammers  were  singing  above  me,  and  the  quails, 
nightingales,  and  cuckoos  calling  all  around."  I  asked  why 
the  yellow-hammer  did  not  appear  in  the  movement  with  the 
others ;  on  which  he  took  his  sketch-book,  and  wrote  the 
following  phrase  (see  No.  28) — 


No.  33, 


"  There's  the  little  composer,"  said  he,  **  and  you'll  find  that 
he  plays  a  more  important  part  than  the  others  ;  for  they  are 
nothing  but  a  joke."  And  in  fact  the  modulation  of  this 
phrase  into  G  major  (after  the  preceding  passage  in  F — see  bars 
4  and  5  of  No.  28)  gives  the  picture  a  fresh  charm.  '  On  my 
asking,'  continues  Schindler,  *  why  he  had  not  mentioned  the 
yellow-hammer  with  the  others,  he  said  that  to  have  done  so 
would  only  have  increased  the  number  of  ill-natured  remarks 
on  the  Andante,  which  had  already  formed  a  sufficient  obstacle 
to  the  Symphony  in  Vienna  and  elsewhere.  In  fact,  the 
work  was  often  treated  as  a  mere  jeu  cVesprit  on  account 
of  the  second  movement,  and  in  many  places  had  shared 
the  fate  of  the  Eroica.  In  Leipzig  they  thought  that  it 
would  be  more  appropriately  called  a  Fantasia  than  a 
Symphony.' 

But  the  note  of  the  yellow-hammer,  both  in  England  and 
in  Austria,  is  not  an  arpeggio — cannot  in  any  way  be  twisted 
into  one,  or  represented  by  one.  It  is  a  quick  succession  of 
the  same  note,  ending  with  a  longer  one,  sometimes  rising 
above  the  preceding  note,  but  more  frequently  falling.  In 
fact,  Schindler  himself  tells  us  that  it  was  the  origin  of  the 
mighty  theme  which  opens  the  C  minor  Symphony  I  Taking 
these  things  into  account,  remembering  how  irresistible  a 


212 


SIXTH   SYMPHONY. 


practical  joke  was  to  Beethoven,  and  how  entirely  destitute  of 
humour  Schindler  always  shows  himself,  it  is  difficult  not  to 
come  to  the  conclusion  that  in  this  elaborate  proceeding 
Beethoven  was  hoaxing  his  humble  friend.  The  reader  must 
^udge  for  himself. 

A  large  collection  of  Slavonic  tunes,  by  Professor  F.  Xaver 
Kuliac,  of  Agram,  recently  published  in  four  volumes  (Agram, 
1878 — 81),  contains  some  melodies  bearing  a  strong  resem- 
blance to  the  subjects  of  some  of  the  music  of  Haydn  and 
Beethoven.  Amongst  others  is  the  following  (Vol.  III., 
No.  1,016)— 

No.  S4. 


which,  it  is  safe  to  say,  was  either  borrowed  from  the  first 
movement  of  the  Pastoral  Symphony  or  was  used  by 
Beethoven  in  the  composition  of  that  work  (compare  quotation, 
No.  1,  and  notice  the  interesting  difference  in  the  first  three 
notes) ;  another  is  quoted  a  propos  to  the  Finale,  ■v\  hich  we 
shall  notice  farther  on.  A  somewhat  similar  insUnce  is 
formed  by  the  Trio  in  the  Seventh  Symphony,  the  melody  of 
which  is  said,  on  the  authority  of  the  Abbe  Stadler,  to  have 
been  a  well-known  pilgrims'  chant.  The  Russian  themes  in 
the  last  movement  of  the  first  and  second  of  the  Rasumoffsky 
Quartets  are  quite  a  different  matter,  as  in  both  cases  the 
theme  is  marked  by  Beethoven  as  '  Theme  Eusse.*  The 
subject  of  the  Slavonic  tunes  has  been  discussed  by  Dr. 
Heinrich  Reimann  (JZ/^.  Musikzeitung  ior  Oct.  6,  13,  20,  1893) 
and  Professor  Kuhac  himself  {Ibid.,  July  20,  August  3,  17, 
1894),  as  well  as  in  the  Musical  Times  for  November,  1893. 
The  question  is — which  is  the  original,  the  Symphony  or  the 


ANDANTE.       SLAVONIC   TUNES.  213 

Volkelied? — and  this  does  not  appear  to  be  yet  made  out. 
iMeantime  Beethoven  does  not  seem  to  have  scrupled  to  use 
materials  wherever  he  found  them.  Attention  was  called  by 
Mr.  C.  A.  Barry,  in  the  Beethoven  number  of  the  Musical  Times, 
1892,  to  a  similarity  between  a  phrase  of  Beethoven's  and  one 
in  the  old  German  Orossvatertanz.  It  is  difficult  to  believe  that 
Beethoven  had  not  seen  Mozart's  Overture  to  'Bastien  et 
Bastienne '  before  writing  the  Eroica.  Other  instances  of 
similarity  between  his  phrases  and  those  of  his  predecessors 
have  been  mentioned  by  Mr.  Shedlock  in  his  excellent  book 
The  Pianoforte  Sonata,  and  others  are  familiar  to  students  of 
his  works.  •  While  walking  one  night  with  Beethoven  in  the 
Mariahilf  Strasse  (apparently  in  Vienna),  all  at  once,'  says* 
Gloggl,  '  he  stopped,  and  I  heard  through  a  window  some 
one  playing  very  charmingly.  Beethoven  took  out  a  small 
note-book  and  wrote  in  it,  saying,  **I  like  that  idea.'"  On 
another  occasion  he  said,  '  I  quite  agree  with  Cherubini  as  to 
his  Requiem,!  and,  if  I  ever  write  one,  shall  borrow  much 
from  him,  note  for  note.'  It  is  hard  to  say  why  he  should 
not  do  so.  Handel  probably  borrowed  more  themes  than 
anyone  else,  and  he  has  shown  us  over  and  over  again  that 
it  is  not  the  theme  that  constitutes  the  value  of  the  com- 
position, but  the  way  in  which  it  is  used. 

III.  Allegro. — '  Peasants'  Festival.'  So  far  we  have  had  to 
do  with  Nature  ;  we  now  turn  to  the  human  beings  who 
people  this  delicate  landscape  ;  the  sentiment  at  once  com- 
pletely changes,  and  we  are  carried  from  graceful  and  quiet 
contemplation  to  rude  and  boisterous  merriment.  The  third 
movement — answering  to  the  usual  Scherzo,  though  not  so 
entitled — is  a  village  dance  or  fair.  The  wind  instruments 
most  prominently  heard   are   appropriately  those   of  rustic 

*  Thayer,  Biography,  iii.,  518  and  215. 

t  Sey fried,  ii.,  22.    He  seems  to  have  seriouslY  meditated  a  Requiem  in  1813. 
^ee  Monatshefte  f.  MvMkges.,  1896,  p.  54. 


214 


SIXTH    SYMPHONY. 


artists,  the  flute,  the  oboe,  and  bassoon.     The  strings  oegin 
thus  in  F,  leading  into  D  minor — 


No.  35.    Allegro. 


^    dol. 


but  the  flute  and  bassoons  enter  after  a  very  few  bars,  and  the 
oboe  shortly  after.  There  is  a  delightfully  rustic  cast  about 
it  all — the  close  of  one  portion  of  the  melody — 


No.  36. 


i 


&^=^ 


^ 


:e± 


S^ 


Sf  Sf  Sf  8f 


the  false   accent   with   which   the   oboe   starts    the    second 
section — 


No.  37. 

Viol.  1  dim. 


Oboe/3, 


-r  i   I    I   I   1    1 

Viol.  2  dimin, 


1 — r 


.«_(?i 


-^f^-1^^ 


t=t 


^ 


to  the  quaint  *accompaniment  of  the  two  fiddles  (we  seem  to 
see  the  village  players  bowing  away)  are  all  in  exquisite 
keeping,  and  it  is  not  too  much  to  believe  that  the  whole  has 
a  •  foundation  in  fact.'     Indeed,  the  very  passage  just  quoted 

*  Recalling  the  accompaniment  of  a  portion  of  the  Scherzo  in  the  Second 
Symphony  (see  p.  33). 


THE    RUSTIC   BAND   AT   THE    BRUHL.  215 

is  wid  to  be  an  intentional  caricature  of  a  band  of  village 
uiMfiicians  whom  Beethoven  used  to  hear  in  the  country ;  and 
the  irregular  halting  rhythm  in  the  bassoon  shows  how 
drunk  or  how  drowsy  the  player  was — 


No.  38. 

Bassoon  p 


:iq— 


while  the  two  notes  to  which   he   is  confined  during  this 
episode  prove  how  very  moderate  are  his  powers. 

This  party,  seven  in  all  (says  Mr.  Thayer  in  his  Life  of 
Beethoven,  iii.  43),  had  for  many  years  played  regularly  in 
the  tavern  of  '  The  Three  Eavens,'  in  the  Upper  Briihl,  near 
Modling;  their  music  and  their  performance  were  both 
absolutely  national  and  characteristic,  and  seem  to  have 
attracted  Beethoven's  notice  shortly  after  his  first  arrival  in 
Vienna.  He  renewed  the  acquaintance  at  each  visit  to 
Modling,  and  more  than  once  wrote  some  waltzes  for  them. 
In  1819  he  was  again  staying  at  Modling,  engaged  on  the 
Mass  in  D.  The  band  was  still  there,  and  Schindler  was 
present  when  the  great  master  handed  them  some  dances 
which  he  had  foimd  time  to  write  among  his  graver  labours, 
so  arranged  as  to  suit  the  peculiarities  which  had  grown  on 
them ;  and  as  Dean  Aldrich,  in  his  Smoking  Catch,  gives 
each  singer  time  to  fill  or  light  his  pipe,  or  have  a  puff,  so 
Beethoven  had  given  each  player  an  opportunity  of  laying 
down  his  instrument  for  a  drink,  or  even  for  a  nap.  In  the 
course  of  the  evening  he  asked  Schindler  if  he  had  ever 
noticed  the  way  in  w^hich  they  would  go  on  playing  till 
they  dropped  off  to  sleep ;  and  how  the  instrument  would 
falter  and  at  last  stop  altogether,  and  then  wake  with 
a  random  note,  but  generally  in  tune.  *  In  the  Pastoral 
Symphony,'  continued  Beethoven,  *  I  have  tried  to  copy 
this,' 


216 


SIXTH    SYMPHONY. 


The  next  movement — Allegro  2-4  (answering  to  the  Trio 
of  the  Schei-zo) — is  said  to  represent  a  fight  among  the 
dancers,  though  indeed  it  may  just  as  well  be  a  rough 
dance.  The  harmony  is  of  the  same  simple  character  as 
that  which  forms  so  fine  a  feature  in  the  opening  move- 
ment— 


No.: 


Wind 


Viol.  1  &  2 


IV.  The  Storm  which  bursts  upon  the  revels  and  quarrels 
of  the  peasants  would  require  a  whole  pamphlet  for  its 
adequate  illustration  and  encomium.  It  comes  abruptly  on 
the  scene.  A  modern  composer  would  probably  have  let  us 
hear  the  thunder  gathering  in  the  distance,  and  have  given 
us  the  gradual  dispersal  of  the  dancers,  and  other  incidents, 
as  the  rain  came  on,  and  the  flashes  grew  more  vivid — indeed, 
Knecht  in  his  programme  gives  some  indications  of  the  kipd. 
But  Beethoven — whether  because  such  realistic  painting  had 
not  yet  invaded  music,  or  because  he  so  willed  it — stops  th« 
dancing  suddenly,  draws  a  double  bar  through  his  page,  addg 


THE  stor:\i.     sublimity. 


217 


a  flauto  piccolo  to  the  score,  alters  the  signature  and  the 
time,  slackens  the  tempo,  and  treats  the  storm  as  a  distinct, 
new,  and  independent  scene — 


No.  40. 


Allegro.  Gz.\ 


VI.  2.  pp 


f 


>i^.^  r  - 


i-^to; 


It  is  simple  treatment,  but  he  can  do  nothing  without 
significance  and  effect.  The  sudden  D  flat*  which  begins  the 
change — like  very  distant  thunder,  so  soft  as  to  be  hardly 
audible — is,  M.  Saint-Saensf  remarks,  *  really  sublime.'  This 
depends  on  the  interpretation  given  to  that  tremendous  adjec- 
tive. But  sublime  or  not,  it  is  very  impressive.  It  has  '  the 
light  that  never  was  on  sea  or  land,'  and  throws  at  once  a 
mystical  cast  over  the  rustic  gaiety  of  the  preceding  music. 


*  In  the  interesting  convers.ation  with  which  Rochlitz  was  honoured  by 
Beethoven  in  1822,  the  great  composer,  in  speaking  of  his  early  fondness  for 
Klopstock  and  his  solemnities,  characertises  them  as  '  always  Maestoso  I  D 
flat !  Isn't  it  so?  But  for  all  that,  he  is  really  great,  and  lifts  one's  souJ.'— 
Rochlitz,  Fiir  Freunde  der  Tonkunst,  iv.,  356. 

f  HarMonie  et  Melodie,  p.  11. 
Grove.— Beethoven's  Nine  Symphonies.— Novello'a  Sdltion.       F 


218 


SIXTH    SYMPHONY. 


much  as  a  dark  cloud  might  do  on  the  actual  field.  This  •  stonn* 
is  as  distinct  an  addition  to  the  usual  four  movements  of  the 
eSymphony  as  the  Cathedral  Scene  in  Schumann's  third  or 
'  Rhenish '  Symphony  is.*  Fortunately  it  needs  no  com- 
mentary, but  is  so  grandly  and  broadly  written  that  the 
hearer  has  but  to  surrender  himself  to  the  impressions  of  the 
moment  as  the  splendid  war  of  the  elements  rages  before 
him.  It  has  no  special  •  form,'  but  one  or  two  favourite 
J)assages  may  be  cited,  such  as  the  following  bold  pro- 
gression— 


No.  41. 


strings  in  8ves. 


^^or  this  other,  in  which  the  basses  virtually  go  down  through 
three  octaves,  with  the  violins  in  arpeggios  of  double  notes 
above  them — cuiiously  simple  means  for  the  immense  effect 
produced  1 


No.  42. 


■^m 


frfSr. 


^TX^H 


Sec. 


# 


^ 


Ll^ 


-P-  hfi. 


^ 


i^. 


Cellos  and  Basses  sf 


U=r. 


'4^^ 


sf 


sf^         sf 


^p^f-d^,fe 


"^ 


sf 


sf 


sf 


^n  extraordinary  effect  is  produced  at  an  early  period  of  the 

*  At  the  first  performance  at  Leipzig  (March  26,  1809)  it  was  specially 
announced  as  in  five  movements.  In  fact  there  is  no  denying  that  three  of  the 
Symphonies  are  in  five  movements,  since  the  Introductions  to  Nos.  4  and  7 
are  so  long  and  important  that  they  cannot  be  taken  as  mere  preludes  to 
the  Allegros,  but  form  separate  and  independent  portions  of  the  work.  The 
Ninth,  of  course,  is  in  many  more  than  £vo, 


CLOSING   OF   THE    STORM. 


219 


tempest  by  making  the  cellos  play  in  groups  of  five  semi- 
quavers while  the  double  basses  have  groups  of  four — 


No.  43. 

Violins  tz 


Basses  "^5^^  \^^ 

an  effect  specially  noticed  by  M.  Berlioz.  Mention  has  often 
been  made  of  the  truth  to  Nature  shown  in  the  mysterious  lull 
before  the  storm  reaches  its  cUmax  (where  the  chromatic 
scales  are  first  introduced),  of  the  picturesque  beauty  of  the 
final  clearing  off  of  the  tempest  (first  oboe  solo,  with  second 
violin  in  octaves) — 

No.  44. 


Oboe- 


^ 


af^    g- 


te 


fe 


r- 


Yio\.  %dolce         '  ■'        '  1 

— which  is  really  the  passage  at  the  commencement  of  the 
movement  (No.  40,  bar  7),  in  minims  instead  of  quavers — 
and  the  strip  of  blue  sky  (final  scale  upwards  of  the  fiute) — 


No.  45 


dolce 


a  feature  which  is  first  found  in  the  second  Finale*  to  *  Fidelio,' 
and  which  Mendelssohn  and  Schumann  have  not  forgotten, 

*  Apropos  to  this,  a  very  interesting  anecdote  is  told  by  the  late  Professor 
Otto  Jahn  iu  his  introductory  article  to  Breitkopf's  complete  edition  :  'In  the 
autograph  of  the  second  Finale  to  Fidelio,'  says  he,  *on  one  of  the  last  pages, 
at  a  place  where  it  is  absolutely  unsuitable,  occurs  this  scale  passage  ;  and  it 
was  only  after  the  most  careful  investigation  that  the  j^roper  place  for  it  could 
be  found.  It  now  stands  in  the  new  score  of  '  Fidelio '  at  page  284  in  the 
piccolo  part,  where  it  adds  an  extraordinary  emphasis  at  the  moment  of  the 
greatest  climax.'— J ahu's  Gesmnm.  Au/satze  (1866),  p.  31§. 


220 


SIXTH    STJIPHONT. 


the  former  in  the  close  of  the  scene  on  Sinai  in  *  Elijah,*  the 
latter  in  the  first  movement  of  his  B  flat  Symphony,  thirty- 
five  bars  from  the  end. 

A  sketch  of  this  storm  will  be  found  in  the  '  Prometheus ' 
music,  immediately  succeeding  the  Overture ;  and  the  com- 
parison of  the  two  pieces  is  most  interesting,  and  will  be  found 
to  throw  great  light  on  Beethoven's  modes  of  procedure  in 
such  cases.  It  is  a  parallel  to  the  two  Overtures  to  Leonora, 
where  *  No.  2  '  is  a  *  first  edition '  of  *  No.  8.' 

V.  The  Finale  is  an  Allegretto,  a  *  Shepherds'  hymn  of 
gratitude  and  *thankfulness,'  at  the  passing  of  the  tempest. 
Between  the  two  there  is  no  pause.  Beethoven's  original 
memorandum  of  the  title  in  his  sketch-book  ran  thus: — 
*  Ausdruck  des  Dankes.  Herr,  wir  danken  dir,'  as  if  he 
had  a  thanksgiving  hymn  in  view.  The  movement  now 
opens  with  a  Jodel  or  Ranz  des  v aches,  begun  by  the  clarinet, 
and  repeated  by  the  horn,  though  the  sketch-books  show  that 
this  Jodel  itself  is  an  afterthought,  and  that  the  Finale 
originally  began  with  the  melody  of  the  hynm  (No.  47).  The 
horn  passage  may  be  noticed  because  it  is  founded  on  a 
solecism  in  harmony,  for  which  in  this  and  other  places 
Beethoven  has  been  much  censured  by  Oulibicheff,  Fetis, 
and  other  conservatives  of  the  old  school,  but  which,  in  the 
music  of  our  times,  has  been  carried  to  lengths  of  which 
Beethoven  himself  can  hardly  have  dreamt — 

No.  4t>.  Allegretto. 
Clar.,^  ^ 


Cello- 


*  Here  again  the  French  must  add  a  definite  programme  ;  and  in  the  Con- 
servatoire programmes  we  accordingly  have  *  Le  calme  renait.  Les  patre* 
rappelent  leur  troitpeaux,'  &e. 


THE   FINALE.      LA   CHIMERB, 


221 


The  offence,  which  Oulibicheff  nicknames  •  la  Chimere,' 
after  the  compound  monster  of  classical  mythology,  con- 
sists of  his  employing  the  *  tonic  '  and  '  dominant '  harmony 
together,  at  the  same  time.  In  this  case  the  viola  holds 
the  bass  notes  G  and  G  (of  the  chord  of  C,  the  *  dominant ' 
of  F),  while  the  violoncello  has  the  notes  G  and  F  (of  the 
chord  of  the  *  tonic  '  F),  the  horn  at  the  same  time  sounding 
the  same  notes  as  the  viola.  Another  instance  is  found  in 
the  famous  horn  passage  which  finishes  the  working-out  of  the 
first  movement  of  the  Eroica  (see  page  6Q).  The  effect  of  such 
combinations  depends  materially  upon  the  way  in  which  the 
instrumentation  is  managed — a  strong  point  with  Beethoven ; 
but  our  ears  are  accustomed  to  the  combination,  and  it  sounds 
all  right ;  that  is,  it  conveys  the  impression  which  Beethoven 
intended  it  to  convey,  and  which  is  therefore  better  than  that 
conveyed  by  the  alteration  of  M.  Fetis,  who  has  actually  taken 
upon  himself,  in  print,  to  improve  this  passage  to  suit  the 
ears  of  his  own  generation,  naively  remarking  that  *  with 
these  alterations  the  effect  would  be  excellent.' 

The  ranz  des  v aches  leads  into  the  first  and  chief  theme  of 
the  Finale — the  Hymn  of  the  Shepherds — as  follows — 


No.  47. 


i 


^ 


^^ 


t^-f  I— I Yzr  -1 1 ^-  -t 1 ta#-  ^ 


£f-?feF^ 


itEtfe 


VioLl  pp 


This  theme  is  given  out  by  the  first  violins,  repeated  by  the 
second  violins  and  then  by  the  violas,  cellos,  clarinets,  and 
bassoons  in  unison.  It  is  followed  immediately  by  a  short 
melody  of  two  bars'  length,  given  alternately  by  the  violas  and 
cellos — 


No.  48. 


Violas  &  Cello3 


222 


SIXTH    SYMPHONY. 


and  by   the  first   violius — by   tlie   latter  in    this   sprightly 
form — 


and  relieved  by  a  charming  subsidiary  melody.  Then  the  last 
group  of  the  phrase  is  played  with,  first  as  above,  and  next 
in  a  florid  form — 


No.  50. 


Next  comes  a  new  phrase- 


No.  51. 


U  ff 

leading  to  an  extended  repetition  of  the  original  jodel  in  the 
violins,  with  its  *  wrong  '  harmony  supported  successively  by 
the  flute,  oboe,  clarinet,  and  horn,  and  diminishing  to  pianis- 
simo. This  leads  back  to  the  principal  subject  (No.  47), 
richly  accompanied,  and  modulating  into  the  key  of  B  flat,  in 
which  key  at  length  the  second  subject  proper  appears  in  the 
clarinets  and  bassoons,  and  accompanied  by  the  violas  in 
semiquaver  figures — 

No.  52. 
Clar.  dolce  ^ ^ 


\%^^^f 


piiif 


FINALE.      A   SLAVONIC   MELODY. 

After  the  second  subject  we  have  a  modiilation  through  D  flat 
into  C,  on  which  note  there  is  a  pedal  for  fifteen  bars,  with 
the  two  violins  in  semiquaver  passages  over  it,  and  later 
still  the  original  jodel  returns  in  the  wind.  For  the  rest 
of  the  movement  the  music  consists  of  variations  of  the 
themes  already  given — Eifugato  on  the  principal  subject,  and  a 
second  fugato  with  the  subject  in  semiquavers  ;  and  a  passage 
in  which  the  fiddles  descend  note  by  note  from  the  high  G 
over  a  pedal  in  the  basses,  at  the  same  time  diminishing  from 
ff  to  pp,  and  recalling  a  similar  passage  near  the  end  of  the 
opening  movement  of  the  work;  a  coincidence  which,  if 
intentional,  is  of  rare  occurrence  in  the  Symphonies.  The 
whole  ends  with  a  very  peaceful  Codaj  terminating  with  the 
original  jodel  in  the  horns  pianissimo,  which  might  be  sup- 
posed to  indicate  the  retirement  of  the  peasant  band  to  a 
distance,  if  we  were  not  brought  to  our  senses  by  two  very 
loud  and  startling  chords. 

The  subject  which  we  have  quoted  as  No.  48  is  the  second 
one  of  the  two  on  which  there  is  so  curious  a  correspondence 
with  the  Croatian  melodies  (see  page  212).  The  Volkslied  is 
given  by  Professor  Kuhac  (Vol.  III.,  No.  810)  as  follows  ;  and, 
as  before,  the  resemblance  is  very  strong  (compare  No.  52) — 


No.  53. 

^ f^J !»> 

— 1 K^ k 

1 K—l ^t 1 V- 

^^^t± 

kJ-^'  ^— ii=i 

:it=i= 


^=1      hJ^iq — ^M — A    I       1-1 


The  Pastoral  Symphony  was  first  performed  at  a  concert 
given  by  Beethoven  on  Thursday,  the  22nd  of  December. 
1808,  in  the  Imperial  private  theatre  at  Vienna.  It  stood 
first  in  t-he  programme,  and  was  described  in  the  announce- 
ments as  follows :  *  Eine  Symphonie  unter  dem  Titel : 
Erinnerung  an  das  Landleben,  in  F  dur  (No.  5).'  The 
programme  also  included  the  G  major  Pianoforte  Concerto 


224  BIXTH   SYMPHONY. 

—played  by  the  composer  ;  the  Symphony  in  C  minor  (given 
as  *  No.  6  ')  ;  the  Choral  Fantasia ;  and  other  pieces  of 
Beethoven's  composition,  '  quite  new,  and  never  before  heard 
in  pubhc'  What  a  programme  I  We  may  well  exclaim, 
'  who  is  sufficient  for  these  things  ! '  The  circumstances  of 
its  production  make  one  shudder.  Instead  of  appropriate 
spring  weather  the  cold  was  intense,  and  the  theatre  appears 
to  have  been  un warmed.  The  audience  were  very  scanty  ;  in 
the  stalls,  Beethoven's  Russian  friend,  the  Count  Vielhorsky, 
appears  to  have  been  the  *only  person ;  the  programme  of 
forbidding  length,  and  the  rehearsals  but  imperfect.  Under 
such  untoward  circumstances  are  the  regenerators  of  mankind 
born  into  the  world  1 

The  confusion  between  the  priority  of  the  0  minor  and 
Pastoral  Symphonies  was  in  force  as  late  as  1820,  as  appears 
from  the  programme  of  the  Concerts  Sjriritu-els  of  Vienna  of 
that  year.f  A  similar  confusion  of  numbers  existed  between 
ihe  Seventh  and  Eighth  Symphonies  some  years  later. 

It  was  first  publiclyt  performed  in  London  at  a  concert 
given  for  the  benefit  of  Mrs.  Vaughan  (formerly  Miss  Tennant), 
at  the  Hanover  Square  Rooms,  on  May  27, 1811.  Dr.  Crotch§ 
was  *  at  the  organ  and  the  grand  pianoforte.'  A  fortnight 
later  it  was  again  performed  at  the  concert  of  Mr.  Griesbach, 
the  oboe  player,  on  June  13. 

A  notice  in  an  early  number  of  i\i&  Musical  World  (June  21, 
1838)  says  that  at  the  first  performance  of  the  Symj^hony  in 

*  *  He  told  me  this  himself,'  said  F.  Hiller,  '  and  also  that  when  Beethoven 
was  called  forward  he  gave  the  Count  a  special  nod  {Buckling),  half  in  fun  end 
half  sarcastic' — Thayer,  iii.,  57,  8. 

t  Given  by  Hanslick,  Geschichte  der  Concertwcaens  in  Wien,  p.  189. 

X  I  say  '  publicly  '  because  there  is  some  reason  to  suppose  that  it  may  have 
been  practised  by  a  Society  called  '  The  Harmonic,'  which  held  its  meetings  at 
the  London  Tavern.  See  The  Harmonicon  of  1832,  p.  247.  I  am  mnch 
indebted  to  my  friend,  Mr.  F.  G.  Edwards,  for  this  and  much  more  interesting 
information  on  similar  points  in  connection  with  the  Symphonies. 

§  Comp.  Ninth  Symphony,  p.  383  note.  But  this  may  have  been  for  other 
pieces  in  the  programme. 


EABLY   OPINIONS   OP   THE   WORK.  225 

England  it  was  divided  into  two  parts,  and  that  the  interval 
was  relieved  by  the  introduction  of  '  Hush,  ye  pretty  warbling 
choir,'  from  *Acis  and  Galatea.'  I  am  not  able  to  say  if 
either  of  the  two  concerts  just  mentioned  are  referred  to,  or 
whether  it  is  a  confusion  with  Bochsa's  performance  (see 
next  page)  on  June  22,  1829. 

When  performed  *later  by  the  Philharmonic  Society,  large 
omissions  were  made  in  the  Andante,  to  make  it  go  down ;  and 
yet,  notwithstanding  this,  the  ancient  members  of  the  pro- 
fession and  most  of  the  critics  condemned  it.  Thus  the 
Harmonicon,  the  musical  periodical  of  the  day — edited  by  a 
very  intelligent  man,  and  usually  a  fair  critic — is  never  happy 
without  its  fling  at  the  length  and  the  repetitions  of  this 
Symphony.  '  Opinions  are  much  divided  on  its  merits,  but  few 
deny  that  it  is  too  long.  The  Andante  alone  is  upwards  of  a 
quarter  of  an  hour  in  performance,  and,  being  a  series  of 
repetitions,  might  be  subjected  to  abridgment  without  any 
violation  of  justice  either  to  composer  or  hearer  '  (1823,  p.  86). 

*  Always  too  long,  particularly  the  second  movement,  which, 
abounding  in  repetitions,  might  be  shortened  without  the 
slightest  danger  of  injuring  that  particular  part,  and  with  the 
certainty  of  improving  the  effect  of  the  whole  '  (1828,  p.  130). 

•  The  Pastoral  Symphony  is  too  long  for  the  quantity  of  ideas 
that  it  tcontains.  .  .  .  He  must  be  a  great  enthusiast  who  can 
listen  to  it  without  some  feelings  of  impatience'  {Ibid., 
p.  lOG).  In  such  terms  as  these  did  our  grandfathers,  year 
after  year,  receive  a  work  which,  with  all  its  repetitions,  does 
not  contain  a  redundant  bar,  and  is  now,  next  to  the  C  minor, 
the  most  popular  of  Beethoven's  first  eight  Symphonies ! 


•  The  date  of  its  first  performance  by  the  Philharmonic  is  uncertain.  The 
first  time  the  name  appears  in  the  programmes  is  on  April  14,  1817  ;  but  it 
may  have  been  given  earlier,  as,  for  the  first  four  years  of  the  Society,  it  was 
not  the  custom  to  give  the  keys  or  names  of  the  Symphonies  performed. 

+  This  reminds  one  of  the  judgment  of  the  same  gentleman  on  the  Nintl; 
Symphony  (see  p.  393). 


226  SIXTH   SYMPHONY 

Several  attempts  have  been  made  to  perform  the  Pastoral 
Symphony  with  scenery  and  even  action — in  other  words,  to 
disregard    Beethoven's    own    injunction,    and    develop    his 

*  expression  of  emotions  '  into  a  definite  '  picture.' 

1.  A  performance  at  the  King's  Theatre  in  the  Haymarket, 
on  June  22nd,  1829,  for  the  Benefit  of  Mr.  Bochsa,  the  harp 
player;  a  prominent  personage  of  the  day.  The  Symphony 
was  dramatised  for  the  occasion  by  Monsieur  Deshayes  and 
produced  under  his  immediate  direction,  the  principal 
characters  by  six  French  actors  assisted  by  a  numerous 
corps  de  ballet.  It  was  preceded  by  a  dramatic  performance 
of  *  Acis  and  Galatea,'  by  eminent  singers  from  the  Italian 
Opera.  See  The  Times  of  June  24,  1829  ;  the  Quarterly 
Musical  Magazine,  Vol.  X.,  p.  303  ;  and  Moscheles's  Life 
(TransL,  1873),  i.,  229. 

Mr.  Bochsa  made  an  experiment  in  the  same  direction, 
at  his  Benefit  Concert  on  June  23,  1830,  by  perform- 
ing Beethoven's  Battle  Symphony,  *  dramatised  expressly 
for  the  occasion,'  with  '  Guards  from  Waterloo  on  the 
stage,'  &c. 

2.  '  An  Illustration  of  the  Pastoral  Symphony,*  by  the 
Artists'  Club,  '  Der  Malkasten,'  of  Diisseldorf,  in  February, 
1863.  This  had  scenery  for  the  background,  and  groups  of 
reapers,  peasants,  a  village  parson,  &c.,  but  apparently  no 
action.  The  original  prospectus  (February  7,  1863)  and  an 
article  on  the  performance  by  Otto  Jahn  will  be  found  in  the 
Gesarmnelte  Aufsdtze  of  that  eminent  critic  (1866),  page  260, 

*  Beethoven  im  Malkasten.'     Also  see  the  A.  m.  Zeitung  for 
1863,  page  293,  &c. 

3.  A  performance,  with  pictorial  and  pantomimic  illustra- 
tions, at  Drury  Lane  Theatre,  January  30,  1864,  as  part 
of  the  Benefit  of  Mr.  Howard  Glover.  The  scenery  was 
painted  by  Mr.  Wm.  Beverley ;  the  action  composed  and 
arranged  by  Mr.  Cormack ;  principal  dancers,  the  Misses 
Gunniss. 


PERFORMANCES   WITH    SCENERY,  ETC.  227 

In  taking  leave  of  the  Symphony  it  is  impossible  not  to 
feel  deep  gratitude  to  tliis  great  composer  for  the  complete 
and  unalloyed  pleasure  which  he  here  puts  within  our  reach. 
Gratitude,  and  also  astonishment.  In  the  great  works  of 
Beethoven,  what  vast  qualities  are  combined  !  What  boldness, 
what  breadth,  what  beauty  !  what  a  cheerful,  genial,  beneficent 
view  over  the  whole  realm  of  Nature  and  man  !  And  then 
what  extraordinary  detail  I  and  so  exquisitely  managed,  that 
with  all  its  minuteness,  the  general  effect  is  never  sacrificed 
or  impaired  I  The  amount  of  contrivance  and  minute  calcu- 
lation of  effect  in  this  Andante  (to  speak  of  one  movement 
only)  is  all  but  inconceivable,  and  yet  the  ear  is  never 
oppressed,  or  made  aware  of  the  subtle  touches  by  which  what 
might  have  been  blemishes,  had  the  one  necessary  hairbreadth 
been  passed,  become  conspicuous  beauties.  However  abstruse 
or  characteristic  the  mood  of  Beethoven,  the  expression  of  his 
mind  is  never  dry  or  repulsive.  To  hear  one  of  his  great 
compositions  is  like  contemplating,  not  a  work  of  art,  or  man's 
device,  but  a  mountain,  or  forest,  or  other  immense  product 
of  Nature  —at  once  so  complex  and  so  simple ;  the  whole  so 
great  and  overpowering ;  the  parts  so  minute,  so  lovely,  and 
30  consistent ;  and  the  effect  ?a  inspiring,  po  beneficial,  and 
?.o  elevating. 


SYMPHONY  No.  7,  in  A  major  (Op.  92). 

Dedicated  to  iloritz,  Count  Imperial  von  Jf'riea. 

1    Poco  sostenuto.     (•'^GQ.)     (A  major.) 

2.  Vivace.     {J._104.)     (A  major.) 

3.  Allegretto.     (J«_76.)     (A  minor.) 

4.  Scherzo,  Presto.     (£=)• 132.)     (P  major.)     Trio,  Assai  meno  presto 

(J 84).     (D  major.) 

5.  Finale,  Allegro  con  brio,   (c:' 72.)     (A  major.) 


Score. 


2  Flutes. 
2  Oboes. 
2  Clarinets. 
2  Bassoons. 
2  Horns. 


2  Trumpets. 

2  Drums. 

1st  and  2nd  Violinj. 

Viola, 

CeUo. 


Basses. 


The  Drums  are  toned  in  A  and  E,  except  in  the  Scherzo,  in  which  they 
are  in  F  and  A. 

The  *parts  appear  to  have  been  published  on  December  21,  1816. 
The  score  in  a  small  quarto  of  224  pages,  lithographed,  and  published 
by  S.  A.  Steiner  &  Co.,  Vienna.    A  poor  edition. 

'  Siebente  Grosse  Sinfonie  in  A  dur  von  Ludwig  van  Beethoven  92tes 
Werk.  Vollstandige  Partitur.  Eigenthum  der  Verleger.  Preis  12  Fl.  Wien 
im  Verlag  bei  S.  A.  Steiner  und  Comp.     So  wie  auch  zu  haben,'  Ac,  &c. 

[Page  2.]  •  Dem  Hochgebornen  Heim  Moritz  Reichsgrafen  von  Fries, 
S*"  k:  k:  Apost :  Majestat  wirklichen  Ivammerer,  &c. ,  &c.,  &c.,  in 
Ehrfurcht  zugeeignet  von  Ludw:  van  Beethoven.'     No.  2560. 

A  second  and  much  better  edition,  folio,  180  pages,  engraved,  waa 
published  by  Tobias  Haslinger,  of  Vienna,  in  1827. 

*  One  of  the  few  defects  in  Mr.  NotteLobm's  Thematic  Catalogue  of  Bee- 
thoven (Breitkopf  &  Hartel)  is  that  there  is  no  indication  of  what  the 
various  publications  are.  It  is  often  impossible  to  teli  wbeUu'.r  they  are  score 
or  paru. 


DATE   OF   COMPOSITION.  229 

The  Seventh  Symphony  was  completed  in  1812,  after  an 
interval  of  four  years  from  the  termination  of  the  '  Pastoral.' 
It  was  a  longer  time  than  had  passed  between  any  of  the 
other  *Symphonies,  and  much  had  happened  in  it.  During 
the  period  of  which  we  are  speaking,  though  no  Symphony 
was  in  progress,  a  large  number  of  scarcely  less  important 
works  were  composed — The  String  Quartets  in  E  flat  (Op.  74) 
and  F  minor  (Op.  95) ;  the  music  to  *  Egmont,'  *  King 
Stephen,'  and  the  '  Ruins  of  Athens ' ;  the  Choral  Fantasia ; 
the  Solo- Sonata  in  F  sharp  minor,  and  that  called  *  Les 
Adieux,  I'Absence,  et  le  Retour ' ;  the  Trios  in  E  flat  and  D 
(Op.  70) ;  and  in  B  flat  (Op.  97) ;  besides  the  Variations 
in  D  (Op.  76);  the  Fantasia,  Op.  77;  and  the  Sonatina, 
Op.  79. 

The  Overture  in  C,  originally  intended  to  embody  Schiller's 
Ode,  but  which  we  knowf  as  Op.  115,  was  constantly  receiving 
attention  during  the  whole  of  the  time  in  question,  as  is 
shown  by  the  sketch-books.  The  songs  in  Op.  75,  82,  and  83 
are  more  or  less  due  to  this  date,  and  it  was  in  1810  that 
he  began  the  numerous  arrangements  of  Scotch,  Welsh,  and 
Irish  songs  for  Thomson,  of  Edinburgh,  which  occupied  him 
at  intervals  from  1810  to  1815,  and  though  not  requiring  the 
highest  flight  of  his  genius,  must  have  been  sufficient  to  give 
a  good  deal  of  employment  to  so  conscientious  a  workman 
as  Beethoven.  Thomson's  proposal,  made  on  ifSeptember  17, 
1810,  that  he  should  compose  a  cantata  on  Campbell's  'Battle 
of  the  Baltic,'  is  an  interesting  one,  and  it  is  a  great  pity  that  it 
was  not  carried  out,  as  the  words  are  very  far  above  the  usual 
standard  of  such  libretti ;  and  since  Beethoven's  stipulation 
that  they  should  not  contain  anything  offensive  to  the  Danes 

•  The  followiiig  are  the  dates,  as  iienr]y  as  we  have  been  able  to  ascertain 
them:  Symphony  No.  1,  1800  ;  No.  2,  1802;  No.  3,  ISOi  ;  No.  4,  l&OG  ;  No. 
5,  1807  ;  No.  6.  1807  or  8. 

f  Entitled  in  France  'La  Chasse.' 

X  See  Beethoven's  letter  in  Thayer,  iii, .  448  ;  also  17d. 


280  SEVENTH    SYMPHONY. 

is  thoroughly  respected,  there  is  every  reason  to  think  that 
he  would  have  composed  them  con  amove* 

The  engagement  with  Countess  Theresa  Brunswick,  which 
took  place  in  1806,  had  been  broken  off,  though  it  is 
impossible  to  say  what  way  that  event,  or,  indeed,  any  other 
event,  affected  Beethoven  as  a  composer.  During  the  four 
years  a  further  development  of  his  wonderful  powers  and 
equoUy  wonderful  style  had  taken  place,  another  step  towards 
the  accomplishment  of  his  great  mission  of  freeing  music 
from  dependence  on  the  mechanical  structure  in  which  it  had 
grown  up,  and  on  the  ingenuity  of  construction  which  was 
still  considered  one  of  its  merits,  and  making  it  more  and 
more  the  expression  of  the  deepest  and  the  most  individual 
emotions  of  men's  nature.  Hitherto  he  had  expressed  in  his 
Symphonies  a  very  wide  range  of  feelings,  but  he  had  not  yet 
attempted  what  may  be  called  moods  and  manners.  In  the 
opening  movement  of  No.  5  he  had  shown  himself  severe  and 
perhaps  intolerant — what  he  did  not  approve  of  was  crushed  on 
the  instant.  In  the  Finale  of  No.  4  he  is  thoroughly  gay  and 
good  humoured.  But  there  was  a  temper  or  a  mood  which 
he  had  not  yet  tried  in  his  compositions,  and  that  is  the 
boisterousness  in  which,  as  life  went  on,  hewasprone  to  indulge 
in  his  personal  intercourse,  both  in  writing  and  action.  His 
letters  always  more  or  less  abounded  with  rough  jokes, 
puns,  and  nicknames  ;  and  similarly  his  personal  intercourse 

*  It  is  interesting  to  notice  how  like  the  methods  of  these  great  writers 
sometimes  are  to  one  another.  Campbell's  early  version  of  part  of  this 
very  fine  poem  has  been  preserved,  and  stood  thus  (Allingham,  iSketch  q/ 
Campbell's  LiJ\  prefixed  to  poems) : — 

Of  Nelson  and  the  North 

Sing  the  day, 
When,  their  Imnghty  powers  to  vex. 
He  engaged  the  Danish  decks, 
And  with  twenty  floating  wrecks 
Crowned  the  fray. 

No  sketch  of  Beethoven's  can  have  been  more  curiously  inferior  to  the  finisbcd 
work  than  this  is.     It  is.  indeed,  a  most  ir^structive  parallel, 


Beethoven's  odd  manners.  231 

was  of  a  very  free  *'  unbuttoned '  description.  To  name  two 
instances.  When  he  came  to  dine  enfamille  with  his  old  fi-iend 
Breuning,  as  he  often  did,  if  he  had  come  through  the  rain, 
the  first  thing  to  do  on  entering  the  dining-room  was  to  take 
off  his  broad-brimmed  felt  hat  and  dash  the  water  off  it  in  all 
directions,  regardless  of  the  furniture  or  the  inmates.  When 
his  brother,  shortly  after  buying  an  estate,  left  a  card  on 
Ludwig  containing  the  words,  *  Johann  van  Beethoven, 
Landed  proprietor,'  it  was  swiftly  returned  by  one  inscribed, 
*  Ludwig  van  Beethoven,  Brain  proprietor  ' :  and  there  are 
many  such  instances.  But,  characteristic  as  these  rough 
traits  are,  they  had  not  yet  made  their  appearance  in  his 
music.  The  time  was  now  come ;  and  this  constitutes  a 
real  difference  between  his  first  six  Symphonies  and  the 
seventh  and  eighth,  inasm-'ich  as  these  two  are  more  or  less 
permeated  by  the  rough  humour  which  we  have  just 
been  mentioning,  as  a  part  of  his  nature  which  was  bound  to 
show  itself  sooner  or  later,  and  the  occurrences  of  which  w^e 
shall  point  out  as  they  arise.  Here  it  will  be  sufficient  to 
notice  it  in  a  general  way,  and  to  say  that  when  this 
_hoisteiiousness  Js  combined  with  the  forxie  and  character  which 
are  exhibited  in  the  preceding  six  of  these  great  works,  as  it  is 
in  the  Finale  of  No.  7  and  the  opening  and  closing  move- 
ments of  No.  8 — the  effect  is  indeed  tremendous.  Other 
occurrences  may  have  some  bearing  on  the  increasing 
joviality  of  his  expression.  We  must  remember  that  to 
balance  the  breach  with  Countess  Theresa  in  1810  it  was 
in  the  same  year  that  he  made  the  acquaintance  of  Bettina 
von  Arnim,  who,  with  all  her  exaggeration  and  false 
sentiment,  evidently  made  a  strong  impression  on  his 
susceptible  nature.  1810,  too,  was  the  date  of  the  appear- 
ance of  Hoffmann's  criticism  on  the  C  minor,  which  was 
perhaps  the   first  piece  of  reasonable    sympathy  from  tha 

•  A'U(fgtkvJS]pft. 


232  SEVENTH    SYMPHONY. 

outside  world  that  had  reached  him,  and  must  surely  have 
affected  him  considerably. 

Beethoven  recorded  the  exact  date  —  probably  of  his 
beginning  to  score  the  work — on  the  right-hand  top  corner 
of  the  first  page  of  his  manuscript,  now  in  the  possession 
of  Mr.  Ernst  Mendelssohn-Bartholdy,  nephew  of  the  com- 
poser, who  lives  in  the  old  family  banking-house,  53, 
Jiigerstrasse,  Berlin  ;  and  if  the  MS.  were  still  intact  there 
would  be  no  difficulty  in  ascertaining  it.  But  a  wretched 
binder  has  cat  down  the  top  and  front  of  the  page  so  far  that 
at  present  the  following  only  can  be  inferred  : — '  Sinfonia.  L. 
V.  Beethoven,  1812  ;  ISten.  .  .'  Then  follows  the  loop  of 
a  letter  which  may  have  belonged  to  either  *May,  June,  or 
July ;  and  this  agrees  with  Beethoven's  own  statement  in  his 
letter  from  Teplitz,  July  19,  i812,  to  Varena — *  A  new 
Symphony  is  now  ready.'  It  was  Beethoven's  habit,  as 
we  know,  to  reduce  the  materials  of  his  great  works  to  their 
final  form  in  Vienna,  during  the  winter  and  early  spring 
months.  Their  real  composition — if  one  part  of  so  complex 
an  operation  can  be  distinguished  from  another — took  place 
during  the  excursions  which,  with  few  exceptions,  he  regularly 
took  in  the  summer  into  the  country  more  or  less  near  the 
Austrian  capital.  In  1811  he  went  farther  afield  than  usual. 
He  was  kept  in  town  till  an  unusually  late  date,  but  by  the 
end  of  August  or  beginning  of  September  he  was  at  Teplitz, 
a  watering-place  fifty  miles  or  so  North-west  of  Prague; 
and  there,  in  the  midst  of  an  intellectual  and  musical  society, 
he  seems  to  have  enjoyed  himself  thoroughly.  Varnhagen  von 
Ense  and  the  famous  Rahel,  afterwards  his  wife,  were  there ; 
the  Countess  von  der  Reckef  from  Berlin ;  and  the  Sebalds,  a 

*  The  conf.dence  with  which  such  careful  commentators  as  Nottebohm  and 
Thayer  read  this  as  'Mai,'  is  puzzling. 

t  Can  this  be  the  family  to  whom  the  *  Recksche  Palais '  in  the 
Potsdamer  Strasse  belonged,  which  afterwards  became  the  Mendelssohns' 
liouse,  and  is  now  the  Herrenhaus  of  the  German  Parliament,  completely 
transmogrified  from  its  ancient  appearance,  and  bearing  no  trace  of  its  former 
illustrious  occupant  1 


THE    SOCIETY  AT   TEPLITZ.      NAPOLEON.  233 

musical  family  from  the  same  city,  with  one  of  whom, 
Amalie,  the  susceptible  Beethoven  at  once  fell  violently  in 
love,  as  Weber  had  done  before  him  ;  Varena,  Ludwig  Lowe 
the  actor,  Fichte  the  philosopher,  *Tiedge  the  poet,  and  other 
poets  and  artists  were  there  too ;  these  formed  a  congenial 
circle  with  whom  his  afternoons  and  evenings  were  passed  in 
the  greatest  good-fellowship  and  happiness ;  and  here,  no  doubt, 
the  early  ideas  of  the  Seventh  Symphony  were  put  into  score 
and  gradually  elaborated  into  the  perfect  state  in  which  we 
now  possess  them.  Many  pleasant  traits  are  recorded  by 
Varnhagen  in  his  letters  t  to  his  fiancee  and  others.  The 
coy  but  obstinate  resistance  which  Beethoven  usually  offered 
to  extemporising  he  here  laid  entirely  aside,  and  his  friends 
probably  heard,  on  these  occasions,  many  a  portion  of  the 
new  Symphony  which  was  seething  in  his  heart  and  brain, 
even  though  no  word  was  dropped  by  the  mighty  player  to 
enhghten  them.  In  his  letters  of  this  time  he  is,  as  usual 
quite  dumb  as  to  what  was  occupying  him.  The  sketch- 
book of  the  Symphony,  now  in  the  Petter  collection  at 
Vienna,  and  fully  analysed  by  Nottebohm  in  the  Zweite 
Beethoveniana,  p.  101,  &c.,  gives  apparently  no  information  as 
to  date  or  place  ;  but  on  this  head  there  need  be  Httle  doubt. 
It  is  a  curious  fact  that  three  of  Beethoven's  great  orches- 
tral works  should  be  more  or  less  closely  connected  with 
Napoleon  Bonaparte.  His  share  in  the  'Eroica'  we  have 
already  described ;  the  piece  entitled  the  '  Battle  Symphony ' 
(Op.  91)  was  written  to  commemorate  one  of  the  greatest  defeats 
ever  sustained  by  Napoleon's  army,  that  of  Vittoria  ;  and  the 


*  Beethoven  to  the  end  of  his  life  retained  his  Bonn  soft  dialect,  and  one 
instance  of  it  is  that  he  pronounced  Tiedge's  name  Tiedsche.  Another  is  schenirte 
for  genirte.  Such  words  as  '  schwartzen '  and  '  Tage  '  he  pronounced  soft,  as 
* schwartzen '  and  'Tage.'  Just  so  Garrick  to  the  last  said  *  shupreme,' and 
Johnson  '  poonsh '  for  '  punch.'  Besides  this,  Beethoven's  voice  had  a  peculiarly 
soft  winning  sound — *  that  low  gentle  tone,'  says  a  correspondent  quoted  by 
Thayer,  iii.,  209 — *  which  in  his  genial  moments  is  so  peculiarly  fetching.' 

t  See  Thayer,  iii.,  176,  &c 

Grove.— Beethoven's  Nine  Symphonlos.— Novello's  Edition.      Q 


234  SEVENTH    SYMPHONY. 

Seventh  Symphony,  if  not  written  with  a  view  to  the  French 
Emperor,  was  first  performed  in  public  on  December  8,  1813, 
in  the  large  hall  of  the  University  of  Vienna,  at  a  concert 
undertaken  by  Maelzel  for  the  benefit  of  the  soldiers  wounded 
at  the  battle  of  Hanau,  October  30,  where  the  Austrian  and 
Bavarian  troops  endeavoured  to  cut  off  Napoleon's  retreat 
fi'om  Leipzig.  But  indeed  he  made  no  secret  of  his  animosity 
towards  the  Emperor,  and  Mr.  Thayer  (ii.  313)  has  preserved 
a  saying  of  his  after  Jena,  to  the  effect  that  if  he  knew  as 
much  about  war  as  he  did  about  music  he  would  somehow 
contrive  to  beat  him.  Much  enthusiasm  was  felt  in  Vienna 
on  the  subject  of  the  concert  of  December  8,  and  everyone 
was  ready  to  lend  a  helping-hand.  The  programme  also 
contained  the  •  Battle  Symphony,'  and  two  Marches,  by 
Dussek  and  Pleyel,  for  Maelzel's  '  Mechanical  Trumpeter,'  a 
etrange  mixture,  though  not  unsuitable  to  the  occasion. 

Beethoven  conducted  the  performance  in  person,  hardly, 
perhaps,  to  its  advantage,  considering  the  symbolical 
gestures  described  by  *Spohr,  since  he  was  then  very  deaf, 
and  heard  what  was  going  on  around  him  with  great 
difficulty.  The  orchestra  presented  a  striking  appearance, 
many  of  the  desks  being  tenanted  by  the  most  famous 
musicians  and  composers  of  the  day.  Haydn  was  gonet 
to  his  rest,  but  Schuppanzigh,  Romberg,  Spohr,  Mayseder, 
and  Dragonetti  were  present,  and  played  among  the  rank 
and  file  of  the  strings ;    Meyerbeer    (of    whom    Beethoven 

*  Spohr's  SdbstUographie,  i.,  200.  Spohr's  account  is  sufficiently  interesting 
to  be  extracted.  '  At  this  concert  I  first  saw  Beethoven  conduct.  Often  a,s  I 
had  heard  of  it,  it  surprised  me  extremely.  He  was  accustomed  to  convey  tha 
marks  of  expression  to  the  band  by  the  most  peculiar  motions  of  his  body. 
Thus  at  a  s/orzando  he  tore  his  arms,  which  were  before  crossed  on  his  breast, 
violently  apart.  At  a  piano  he  crouched  down,  bending  lower  the  softer  the 
tone.  At  the  crescendo  he  raised  himself  by  degrees  until  at  the  forte  he  sprang 
up  to  his  full  height ;  and,  without  knowing  it,  would  often  at  the  same  time 
shout  aloud.'  He  has  left  some  directions  of  the  same  kind  on  record  on  the 
MS.  of  his  setting  of  Goethe's  Meerestille  und  gl'uckliclie  Fahrt  (Op.  112).  Se« 
Nottebohm'a  Thematic  Catalogue. 

\  He  died  May  31.  1809. 


FIRST   PERFORMANCE.      GLOGGL.  285 

complained  that  Le  always  came  in  after  the  beat)  and 
Hummel  had  the  drums,  and  Moscheles,  then  a  youth 
of  nineteen,  the  cymbals.  Even  Beethoven's  old  teacher, 
Kapellmeister  Salieri,  was  there,  *  giving  the  time  to  the 
drums  and  salvos.'  There  was  a  black-haired,  sallow,  thick- 
set, spectacled  lad  of  fifteen  in  Vienna  at  that  time,  named 
Franz  Schubert,  son  of  a  parish  schoolmaster  in  the 
suburbs,  and  himself  but  just  out  of  the  Cathedral  School. 
He  had  finished  his  own  first  Symphony  only  six  weeks 
Defore,*  and  we  may  depend  upon  it  that  he  was  some- 
where in  the  room,  though  too  shy  or  too  juvenile  to 
take  a  part,  or  be  mentioned  in  any  of  the  accounts.  The 
effect  which  the  Symphony  produced  on  him  is  perpetuated  in 
the  Finale  to  the  remarkable  Pianoforte  Duet  which  he  wrote 
ten  years  afterwards  among  the  Hungarian  mountains,  and 
which  since  his  death  has  become  widely  known  as  the 
«  Grand  Duo,  Op.  140.' 

It  was  the  good  fortune  of  a  young  Austrian  named  Gloggl, 
afterwards  an  eminent  publisher,  to  accompany  Beethoven 
from  his  residence  to  the  concert-room  on  the  occasion  of  the 
second  performance ;  and  we  are  able,  through  his  account,  to 
catch  a  glimpse  of  the  composer  in  somewhat  novel  circum- 
stances. Gloggl  had  made  his  acquaintance  some  time  before, 
had  been  admitted  to  the  rehearsals,  and  had  witnessed  a  little 
scene  between  the  fiddlers  and  the  great  master.  A  passage  "in 
the  Symphony  was  too  much  for  them,  and  after  two  or  three 
attempts  they  stopped,  and  were  bold  enough  to  say  that  what 
could  not  be  played  should  not  be  written.  Beethoven, 
wonderful  to  relate,  kept  his  temper,  and  with  unusual  for- 
bearance begged  '  the  gentlemen  to  take  their  parts  home  with 
them,'  promising  that  with  a  Uttle  practice  the  passage 
would  go  well  enough.  He  was  right.  At  the  next  rehearsal 
it  went  perfectly,  and  a  good  deal  of  laughing  and  compli- 
menting took  place.  But  to  return  to  our  young  Austrian. 
*  Schubert's  first  Symphony,  in  D,  bears  the  date  October  28,  1813 


286  SEVENTH   SYMPHONY. 

The  tickets  for  the  performance  were  all  sold,  and  Gl(5ggl 
would  have  been  shut  out  if  Beethoven  had  not  told  him  to 
call  at  his  lodgings  at  half-past  ten  the  next  morning.  They 
got  into  a  carriage  together,  with  the  scores  of  the  Symphony 
and  the  Battle  of  Vittoria ;  but  nothing  was  said  on  the 
road,  Beethoven  being  quite  absorbed  in  what  was  coming, 
and  showing  where  his  thoughts  were  by  now  and  then  beating 
time  with  his  hand.  No  doubt  he  had  his  unapproachable 
moments,  and  Schumann*  was  probably  right  in  thinking  that 
if  Weber  were  in  Beethoven's  place  he  would  be  easier  to  talk 
to.  Arrived  at  the  hall,  Gloggl  was  ordered  to  take  the  scores 
under  his  arm  and  follow  ;  and  thus  he  passed  in,  found  a 
place  somewhere,  and  heard  the  whole  concert  without 
difficulty.! 

f  But  to  go  back.  The  new  works  were  both  received  with 
(enthusiasm ;  the  performance  of  the  Symphony,  says  Spohr,^ 
was  *  quite  masterly,'  the  slow  movement  was  encored,  and 
^he  success  of  the  concert  extraordinary.  Schindler§  charac- 
fcerises  the  event  as  'one  of  the  most  important  in  Beethoven's 
life,  since,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  members  of  the  musical 
profession,  all  persons,  however  they  had  previously  dissented 
from  his  music,  now  agreed  to  award  him  his  laurels.'  The 
concert  was  repeated  on  the  12th  of  December,  with  equal 
success,  including  the  encore  of  the  Allegretto  ;  and  after  tliis 
Beethoven  showed  his  gratification  by  publishing,  in  the 
Wiener  Zeitnng,  a  long  letter  of  thanks  to  his  *  honoured 
colleagues'  'for  their  zeal  in  contributing  to  so  exalted  a 
result.'  The  Symphony  was  played  again  on  the  2nd  of 
January,  as  well  as  on  the  27th  of  February,  1814,  when  it 
was  accompanied  by  its  twin  brother,  No.  8  (Op.  93,  dated 
October,  1812).  The  two  were  published  in  December,  1816, 
and  the  popularity  of  Beethoven's  serious  works  at  this  date 

♦  Gesammelte  Schrifteyi  (1st  Ed. ),  i. ,  203.  'I  like  to  picture  him  (Mendelssohn) 
clinging  with  one  hand  to  Beethoven  and  looking  up  in  his  face  as  if  he  were 
a  saint,  while  the  other  has  hold  of  Weber— no  doubt  the  easier  to  talk  to.  .  .' 

f  Thayer,  ni.,  259,  2G1.      ;  SelUibiograj^hie,  i.,  201.      §  Biography,  i.,  191. 


RECEPTION   AT   LEIPZIG.      WEBER.  28T 

may  be  inferred  from  the  fact  that  these  most  serious  ones 
were  issued  in  no  less  than  seven*  different  forms.  The 
arrangement  for  piano  solo  is  dedicated  to  the  Empress  of 
Eussia,  probably  in  recognition  of  the  generous  support  which 
the  Imperial  family  of  Russia  gave  to  the  first  performance. 

Such  was  the  reception  of  the  new  work  in  Austria.  Not 
so  in  North  Germany :  when  it  reached  Leipzig  a  few  years 
later  we  have  the  published  testimony  of  Friedrich  Wieck, 
Madame  Schumann's  father,  who  was  present  at  the  first 
rehearsal.  According  to  Wieck's  recollection, f  musicians, 
critics,  connoisseurs,  and  people  quite  ignorant  of  music,  each 
and  all  were  unanimously  of  opinion  that  the  Symphony 
— especially  the  first  and  last  movements — could  have  been 
composed  only  in  an  unfortunate  drunken  condition  {trunkeiien 
Zustande)  ;  that  it  was  poor  in  melody,  and  so  on.  This,  no 
doubt,  was  an  honest  opinion,  but  the  'whirligig  of  time  brings 
in  his  revenges ' ! — A  long  respectful  review  of  the  work  will 
be  found  in  the  Allg.  musik.  Zeitung,  of  Leipzig,  Nov.  27, 1816 
(p.  817),  very  soon  after  publication.  What  happened  on  its 
arrival  in  this  country  will  be  foimd  at  the  close  of  these 
remarks. 

Weber  is  said  to  have  expressed  his  opinion,  after  hearing 
the  Symphony,  that  Beethoven  was  now  ripe  for  the  mad- 
house. I  have  not  been  able  to  discover  the  reference ;  but 
remembering  Weber's  acrimonious  remarks  on  Symphony 
No.  4,  which  have  been  already  quoted  a  propos  to  that  work, 
it  is  not  difficult  to  believe  it.  In  the  autumn  of  1823  Weber 
visited  Beethoven  in  Vienna,  on  the  occasion  of  the  production 
of  *  Euryanthe,'  and  then  doubtless  there  was  a  rapprochement 
between  the  two  men.     But  a  Nemesis  awaited  Weber  in 

*  These  are  announced  in  the  Intelligenzblatt  of  the  Allgemeine  miisik. 
Zeitung  for  March,  1S16,  and  are  as  follows  : — 

Full  Score  ;  Orchestral  Parts  ;  Arrangement  for  a  wind  band  of  nine 
instruments  ;  for  string  quintet ;  for  piano,  violin  and  cello  ;  for  piano,  four 
hands  ;  for  piano  solo. 

+  Clavier  und  Oesang     .     .     ,    von  F.  Wieck,  Kap.  17,  p.  110. 


238  SEVENTH    SYMPHONY. 

reference  to  the  Symphony  in  A.  In  1826  he  came  to  London 
to  bring  out  his  '  Oberon,'  and  while  here  had  to  conduct 
the  Philharmonic  Concert  of  April  3,  the  first  piece  in  the 
second  part  of  which  was  the  very  work  which  he  had  before 
so  contemptuously  censured  1 

A  propos  to  this  great  composition,  an  interesting  anecdote 
is  given  in  Hiller's  *  Mendelssohn.'  Hiller  and  Mendelssohn, 
when  the  latter  was  sixteen,  went  to  call  on  Andi-e,  the 
well-known  collector  of  Mozart's  works,  at  Offenbach. 
Andi'^  was  a  thorough  conservative  in  music ;  even  Beethoven 
was  a  doubtful  novelty  to  him.  This  was  in  1825.  The 
great  Viennese  soon  came  on  the  tapis.  *  The  worst  fault,* 
says  Hiller,  *  that  Andr6  could  allege'  against  him  was  the  way 
in  which  he  composed.  Andre  had  seen  the  autograph  of  the 
A  major  Symphony  during  its  progress,  and  told  us  that  there 
were  whole  sheets  left  blank,  to  be  filled  up  afterwards,  the 
pages  before  the  blanks  having  no  connection  with  those  beyond 
them.  What  continuity  or  connection  could  there  be  in  music 
80  composed  ?  Mendelssohn's  only  answer  was  to  keep  on 
playing  movements  and  bits  of  movements  from  the 
Symphony,  till  Andr6  was  forced  to  stop  for  sheer  *delight.* 
It  is  a  pleasant  coincidence  that  Mendelssohn  should  after- 
wards have  become  the  owner  of  the  very  autograph  alluded 
to.  A  recent  inspection  of  the  manuscript  shows  that 
Andr^  was  right  in  his  statement.  Four  such  blank  pages 
occur  in  the  first  two  movements — the  Poco  sosteriuto  and  the 
Vivace  \  and  there  are  several  instances  in  the  same  move- 
ments of  smaller  blanks  left  in  the  course  of  the  MS.,  as  if 
for  filling  up  afterwards,  thus  dilfering  from  Beethoven's 
usual  procedure. 

r^  This  is  the  only  one  of  his  nine  Symphonies  for  which 
Beethoven  chose  the  key  of  A :  indeed,  it  is  his  only  great 
orchestral  work  in  that  key.     Mozart,  too,  would  seem  to 

*  Hiller'd  Mendelssohn,  translated  by  M.  E.  von  Glehn.  Macmillan  187i 
(p.  6). 


KEY  AND  FOBM  OF  THE  WORK.  239 

have  avoided  this  key  for  orchestral  compositions,  out  of  his 
forty-nine  Symphonies  only  two  being  in  A  ;  and  of  his 
twenty-three  Overtures  only  one — the  *  Oca  del  Cairo.'  Of 
nine  Symphonies  of  Schubert  and  five  of  Schumann 
(including  the  Overture,  Scherzo,  and  Finale),  not  one  is  in 
this  key.  But,  on  the  other  hand,  of  Mendelssohn's  five 
published  Symphonies,  both  the  'Scotch'  and  the  'Italian' 
are  in  A,  as  is  also  the  '  Walpurgis  Night.'  Beethoven  had 
his  idiosyncrasies  on  the.  subject  of  keys.  B  minor  he  calls 
a  'black  key'  (schwarze  Tonart),  and  evidently  avoided;* 
and  he  wrote  to  his  Scotch  publisher,  who  had  sent  him  an 
air  in  four  flats,  marked  amoroso,  to  say  that  the  key  of  four 
flats  should  be  marked  barbaresco,  and  that  he  had  altered  the 
signature  accordingly. f 

In  *  form  '  the  Seventh  Symphony  shows  nothing  that  has 
not  been  already  encountered  in  the  previous  six.  The  Intro- 
duction is  more  important  even  than  that  to  No.  4,  but  it  is 
no  novelty  here.  The  Codas  to  the  Vivace  and  the  Finale  are 
hardly  more  serious  than  those  in  former  Symphonies.  The 
repetition  of  the  Trio  to  the  Scherzo,  which  increases  the 
length  of  the  movement  to  nearly  double  what  it  would  have 
been  under  the  original  plan,  had  been  already  introduced  in 
No.  4  (see  page  121).  Here,  and  in  the  eighth,  the  sister 
Symphony  to  that  now  before  us,  Beethoven  has  substituted 
an  Allegretto  for  the  usual  Andante  or  Lar ghetto — though 
beyond  the  name  the  two  Allegrettos  have  no  likeness  what- 

*  The  only  important  exception  to  this  is  formed  by  the  Sanctus,  Osanna, 
and  Agnics  of  the  Mass  in  D.  Schubert's  symphonic  movement  in  B  minor  in 
deeply  and  brilliantly  coloured,  and  can  hardly  be  spoken  of  as  '  black. ' 
Beethoven,  however,  contemplated  at  one  time  a  Symphony  in  this  key  (with 
the  drums  in  D  and  A),  and  a  few  notes  from  the  sketches  are  given  in  the 
Zweite  Beetkoveniana,  p.  317. — Beethoven  held,  if  we  are  to  believe  Schindler's 
report  (ii.,  166),  that  certain  emotions  required  certain  keys  for  their  expression, 
quite  irrespective  of  pitch  ;  and  that  to  deny  this  was  as  absurd  as  to  say  that 
j|wii^<ww'tnd  two  make  five  ;  that  his  'Pastoral '  Symphony  was  bound  to  be  iu  the 
key  of  F,  and  so  on.     What  about  No.  8,  also  in  F  ? 

t  Thayer,  iii.,  241,  451. 


^^^     AJ^-? 


240  SEVENTH   SYMPHONY. 

ever.     It  is  not  in  any  innovation  on  form  or  on  precedent  of 

arrangement  that  the  greatness  of  the  Seventh  Symphony 

^         consists,  but  in  the  originahty,  vivacity,  power,  and  beauty  of 

the  thoughts,   and  their  treatment,   and   in   a   certain  new 

^romantic   character  of    sudden   and    unexpected    transition 

j  which  pervades  it,  and  which  would  as  fairly  entitle  it  to  be 

"^called  the  *  Romantic  Symphony '  as  its  companions  are  to 

be  called  the  *  Heroic '  and  the  '  Pastoral,'  if  only  Beethoven 

Jjad  so  indicated  it — which  he  has  not.     In  the  Finale,  as  we 

(    shall  see,  this  '  romance '  develops  into  a  vein  of  boisterous 

mirth,  of  which  we  have  no  example  in  any  of  the  earlier 

Symphonies. 

What  the  qualities  are  which  give  the  impression  of  size  in 
a  musical  work  it  is  difficult  to  say;  but  this  Symphony 
certainly  leaves  that  impression  on  the  hearer,  to  an  extra- 
ordinary degree ;  as  much — though  the  two  works  are  so 
^  different — as  Schubert's  great  Symphony  in  C  does.  What 
is  it  that  makes  the  impression  ?  not  the  force,  for  that  we 
have  in  its  utmost  in  No.  6  ;  nor  the  dignity,  for  that  is  one 
/  of  the  great  characteristics  of  No.  3  ;  nor  the  passion,  for  that 
is  the  attribute  of  No.  4  ;  nor  the  pleasantness  of  the  sound, 
for  in  that  nothing  can  exceed  No.  6.  Whatever  it  is — and 
who  shall  tell? — there  is  no  doubt  that  the  mental  image 
raised  by  No.  7  is  larger  than  that  of  any  of  its  predecessors. 
*  *  How  the  orchestra  is  treated !  what  a  sound  it  has  1 '  said 
*Mendelssohn,  and  no  doubt  that  is  partly,  though  not  all, 
the  explanation. 
'  This  noble  work  opens  with  an  Introduction,  Poco 
sostenuto,  far  surpassing  in  dimensions,  as  well  as  in  breadth 
and  grandeur  of  style,  those  of  the  first,  second,  and  even 
fourth  Symphonies,  the  only  others  of  the  immortal  nine 
which  exhibit  that  feature.  In  saying  this,  it  is  impossible  not 
to  think   of  Schumann's  remark.     He  says,  in  speaking  of 


HiUer's  Afendetssohn,  p.  7 


THE   INTRODUCTION. 


241 


Brahmg :  '  Let  him  remember  the  beginnings  of  Beethoven's 
Symphonies,  and  try  to  do  something  like  them.  The 
beginning  is  the  main  thing.  When  you  have  once  begun, 
the  end  comes  of  its  own  *accord.'  His  Introductions — hke 
his  Codas — are  among  Beethoven's  most  remarkable  extensions 
of  the  plan  of  the  Symphony ;  and  with  this  particular  move- 
ment he  may  be  said  to  have  established  a  proceeding  which 
he  had  essayed  in  the  first,  second,  and  fourth  of  his  own 
Symphonies,  and  which  has  been  since  adopted  in  the 
splendid  introductions  to  Schubert's  C  major,  Mendelssohn's 
*  Scotch,'  Schumann's  0  major,  and  Brahms's  C  minoi 
Symphonies. 

I.  The  Introduction  starts  with  a  short  chord  of  A  from 
the  full  orchestra,  which  lets  fdrop,  as  it  were,  a  melodious 
phrase  in  the  first  oboe,  imitated  successively  by  the  clarinet, 
horn,  and  bassoon — 


tiux. 


^^^jg4^ 


Fag./sr 


This,  after  eight  bars  (by  which  time  it  has  for  a  moment 
entered  the  remote  key  of  F  major),  is  interrupted  and  accom- 
panied by  a  new  feature — scales  of  two  octaves  in  length, 


•  Letter,  Januarj-  6,  1854.  +  This  happy  phrase  is  Dr.  W.  Polft'a- 


242 


SEVENTH   SYMPHONY. 


like  gigantic  stairs,  as  someone  calls  tliem,  and  alternating 
with  the  phrase  in  minims  during  seven  repetitions — 


Clar.  &  Fag.  8va.  dol. 


This  conducts  to  a  third  entirely  new  subject  in  the  key  of 
'C  major,  given  out  by  clarinets  and  bassoons  thus — 


No.  3. 


i- 
fOdolce 


The  dignity,  originality,  and  grace  of  this  third  theme, 
especially  when  repeated  pianissimo  by  the  fiddles,  with  a 
graceful  descending  arpeggio  to  introduce  it,  and  a  delicious 
accompaniment  in  the  oboes  and  bassoons,  as  thus — 


Ob.&Fap:.  pp 


— are  quite  *wonderful.      Beethoven  gets  back  out  of  the 


*  Dr.  11.  Rieraaun,  in  his  analysis  of  the  Symphony  in  the  program  me -book 
of  the  Berlin  Philharmonic  Concerts,  states  that  '  out  of  this  rhythmical  figure 
is  developed  the  principal  subject  of  the  Vivace  (No.  6) ;  and,  indeed,  that  all 
the  movements  of  the  work  have  the  closest  relation  to  this  passage.'  It  is,  says 
he,  *  the  thematic  tie  of  unity  {einheitliche  moiivische  Band)  which  runs  through 
the  entire  composition  in  various  forms.'  In  accordance  with  this  idea  lie 
again  finds  the  same  rhythm  in  the  first  four  bars  of  the  Finale.  I  confesii 
that  I  have  failed  to  discover  the  connection. 


THE   INTEODITCTION.       THE   7IVACB. 


243 


key  of  C  by  one  of  those  sudden  changes  which  are  so 
characteristic  of  this  Symphony,  and  the  scales  (No.  2) 
begin  again  in  the  treble  and  bass  alternately.  They  land 
us  in  F,  in  which  the  thu-d  subject  (No.  3)  is  repeated  by 
both  wind  and  strings;  and  then,  by  the  charming  phrase 
which  finishes  our  quotation,  the  original  key  is  regained — 


No.  5. 


fp):ss 


--and  in  seven  bars  more  the  Introduction  ends. 
/  Then  comes  the  First  Movement  proper,  the  Vivace;  and 
/^the  transition  from  the  Introduction  to  it,  by  an  E  sixty-one 
times  repeated,  and  echoed  backwards  and  forwards  between 
the  flutes  and  oboes  and  the  violins,  mixed  with  pauses  and 
with  groups  of  semiquavers,  for  which  the  last  quotation  has 
prepared  us — a  passage  now  listened  for  with  delight  as  one 
of  the  most  characteristic  in  the  work — was  for  a  long  time 
a  great  stumbling-block  to  the  reception  of  the  Symphony 
both  in  London  and  Paris.  It  gave  Beethoven  some  trouble, 
and  sketches  for  it  are  quoted  in  Zweite  Beethoveiiiana, 
page  106. 

II.  The  Vivace  itself,  6-8,  into  which  the  passage  just 
alluded  to  leads,  is  a  movement  of  wonderful  fire  and  audacity. 
Berlioz,  in  his  '  Etudes  sur  Beethoven,'  wishes  us  to  beheve 
that  it  is  a  Ronde  des  Paysans,  and  would  have  been  so  entitled 
if  Beethoven  had  disclosed  his  intention,  as  he  did  in  the 
•Pastoral.'  But  this  is  only  another  instance  of  the  strange 
want  of  accuracy  (to  call  it  by  no  worse  name)  which  detracts 
80  much  fi'om  the  value  of  Berlioz's  interesting  comments. 


244  SEVENTH   SYMPHONY. 

The  statement  is  a  mere  invention  of  his  own,  and  is  entirely 
destitute  of  any  authority  from  the  composers  The  principal 
theme,  in  its  character  and  in  the  frequent  employment  of  the 
oboe,  has  no  doubt  a  quasi-rustic  air ;  but,  whatever  it  may 
be  at  the  outset,  there  is  nothing  rustic  about  the  way  in 
which  it  is  treated  and  developed ;  on  the  contrary,  the  strains 
confided  to  it  are  not  surpassed  in  distinction,  variety,  and 
richness  in  any  of  Beethoven's  first  movements.  If  the  oboe 
was  originally  a  beggar-maid  she  has  here  found  her  King 
Cophetua,  and  long  before  the  end  of  the  movement  has 
mounted  the  throne. 

Similarly  *Wagner  calls  the  whole  Symphony  *  the  Apo- 
theosis {i.e.,  the  deification)  of  the  Dance;  the  Dance  in  its 
highest  condition ;  the  happiest  realisation  of  the  movements 
of  the  body  in  an  ideal  form.'  But  surely  this  is,  to  say 
the  least,  much  exaggerated.  Few  will  not  feel  indignant 
at  the  *  Programme '  with  which  Kubinstein  is  said  to  have 
illustrated  the  pace  and  the  expression  of  the  different  sections 
of  the  Funeral  March  in  Chopin's  B  flat  minor  Sonata,  which 
was  lately  revived  at  a  Piano  Eecital  in  London:  1.  The  pro- 
cession to  the  grave ;  2.  (Trio)  A  hymn  sung  over  the  remains ; 
3.  The  return  of  the  mourners.  But  outrageous  as  this  ig,  it 
is  hardly  more  outrageous  than  Berlioz's  proposal.  All  great 
creations  of  the  intellect,  however,  whether  Shakespeare's 
or  Beethoven's,  poems  or  symphonies,  are  liable  to  such  vague 
and  violent  interpretations  as  these.  A  list  of  nearly  a  dozen 
of  the  interpretations  that  have  been  hazarded  d  propos  to  this 
is  given  by  f  Brenet,  and  is  sufficiently  amusing  if  it  do  not 
evoke  a  stronger  feeling  of  annoyance.  But  surely  some 
practical  clue  should  be  given  to  the  grounds  on  which  such 
violent  attempts  are  based.  For  our  purpose  it  is  enoug^h  to 
say  that  the  Symphony  is  throughout  perhaps  j^ore  markedlyj^ 

•  Gcsamm.  Schri/ten,  iii.,  113. 

f  Histoire  de  la  Symphonie,  <i:c.,  <i:c.,  par  M.  Michel  Brenet,  Parw,  1882 
p.  116.     A  hook  of  much  merit. 


THE   VIVAOB.      GENERAL   CHARACTERISTICS. 


245 


rhythmical  than  any  other  of  the  nine,  and  that  there  is  no 
warrant  for  any  such  interpretations. 

To  proceed  with  the  Vivace.  After  four  prehminary  bars  the 
theme  is  thus  given  out  by  the  flutes,  with  an  extraordinary 
elasticity  which  distinguishes  the  entire  movement — 


No.  6. 

Flute  :•■•  -^ 


^5       'lV^-,^1' 


Wff'  r;r^-^#^m-£r  |f  Ig 


^  I 


,f  ^^r^i 

^^ 

r4= — =1  r  '^, 

:;— 

strings  C 

w^ 

It  is  both  difficult  and  presumptuous  for  anyone  to  compare 
masterpieces  so  full  of  beauty  and  strength,  and  differing  so     ^ 
completely  in  their  character,  as  the  nine  Symphonies  of 
Beethoven  ;  but  if  any  one  quality  may  be  said  to  distinguish 
jhat  now  before  us,  besides  its  rhythmical  construction,  it  is 
perhaps,  as  has  already  been  hinted,  that  it  is  the  most 
romantic  of  the  nine,  or,  in  other  words,  that  it  is  full  of  swift 
unexpected  changes  and  contrasts,  exciting  the  imagination 
in  the  highest  degree,  and  whirling  it  suddenly  into  new  and 
strange  regions.     There  are  some  places  in  this  Vivace  where 
an  instant  change  occurs  fiom  fortissimo  to  j)ianissiino,  which -^ 
have  an  effect  unknown  elsewhere.     A  sudden  hush  from  ^*  to 
pp  in  the  full  hurry  and  swing  of  the  movement  is  a  favourite     . 
device  of  Beethoven's,  and  is  always  highly  effective;    but 


246 


BEVBNTH    SYMPHONY. 


here,  where  the  change  from  loud  to  soft  is  accompanied  by 
a  simultaneous  change  in  harmony,  or  by  an  interruption 
of  the  figure,  or  a  bold  leap  from  the  top  to  the  bottom  of 
the  register — the  most  surprising  and  irresistible  effect  is 
produced.     Two  such  passages  may  be  quoted — 


No.  7. 


m. 


jm-i — ^L^tfLpL. 


&0. 


S 


^^ 


:?^       ^    g^ 


— and  then   the   following,  with   its   beautiful  variant  four 
bars  later : — 


No.  8. 


iSt 


\^,  |uL_k'=!'*f5^ U-- — 1 f.     ^      1 ^ 

PP          ' 

't-. 

^ 

^-^-* — \    ,    ^  ^ 

L_w 

&0. 


In  the  second  example  the  resolution  of  the  harmony  (the 
F  sharp  and  E  in  the  violins  on  to  F  natural)  is  an  invention 
of  Beethoven's,  and  adds  greatly  to  the  effect  of  the  plunge 
through  two  octaves,  and  the  sudden  hush  in  the  tremolaTuio, 
(An  analogous  effect  will  occur  to  many  hearers  in  the 
third  Overture  to  'Leonora' — a  work  which  surely  deserves 
the  epithet  of  *  romantic '  if  anything  in  music  does — near 
the  beginning  of  the  Allegro,  at  an  abrupt  transition  from  the 
key  of  C  major  to  that  of  B  minor,  accompanied  with  a 
change  from  loud  to  soft.)     But,  indeed,  this  Vivace  is  full  ot 


STRONG   ROMANTIC   FEELING. 


247 


these  sudden  effects — especially  in  its  second  portion  ;  and 
they  give  it  a  character  distinct  from  that  of  the  opening 
movements  of  any  of  the  other  Symphonies. 

What  can  be  more  arresting,  for  instance,  than  the  way  in 
which,  at  the  beginning  of  the  second  half  of  the  movement, 
immediately  following  the  double  bar,  after  a  rough  ascent  of 
all  the  strings  in  unison,  fortissimo,  enforced  in  the  intervals 
by  the  wind,  also  fortissimo  and  on  a  strong  discord,  and 
accented  in  a  most  marked  manner  by  two  pauses  of  two 
bars  each,  as  if  every  expedient  to  produce  roughness  had  been 
adopted — the  first  violins  begin  whispering  pianissimo  in  the 
remote  key  of  C  major,  and  the  basses,  four  bars  later,  continue 
the  whisper  in  a  mystic  dance  up  and  down  the  scale,  all  soft 
and  weird  and  truly  romantic  ?  None  the  less  so  because  of 
the  vague  chord  (a  6-4)  on  which  the  basses  enter. 

We  quote  a  few  bars  as  a  guide  to  the  place — 


No.  9. 


^b^ifc^, 


1st  viol. 


Str. 


P^^iip^-rjp^H^-f 


pp  sernpre 


p  p  sempre 


The  scale  passage  is  continued  in  strings,  oboe,  flute, 
and  bassoon,  successively,  all  pianissimo,  with  truly  delightful 
feeling . 


248 


SEVENTH    SYMPHONY. 


Another  example  of  the  same  arresting  romantic  effect  ia 
the  sudden  change  from  the  chord  of  C  sharp  minor  to  that 
of  E  flat,  earHer  in  the  movement — 


No.  10. 


^ 


^^^^^^^^^^ 


m 


with  the  subsequent  no  less  rapid  escape  into  E  natural. 

Another  is  the  very  emphatic  passage  of  the  violins, 
with  which  the  two  parts  of  the  *  second  subject '  are  divided; 
like  a  blow  into  which  Beethoven  has  put  all  his  strength — 


The  second  subject  itself  begins  as  follows — 


No.  12. 

Viol 


and,  recurring  to  the  former  rhythm,  proceeds — 


No.  13. 


Oboe  &  Wind 


^j'^n.^.iT^;, 


strings  dolce  (a) 


stamping  itself  effectually  on  the  memory  by  the  passage 
quoted  as  No.  11,  and  by  the  broad  massive  phrase  (a)  m 


EOMANTIC  AND   INGENIOUS   DEVICES. 


249 


which  the  subject  itself  is  accompanied  by  the  whole  of  the 
strings  in  unison. 

The  reprise  of  the  first  section  of  the  movement,  after  the 
working-out  (which  begins  with  our  quotation,  No.  9),  is  an 
astonishing  instance  of  variety  and  skill.  It  is  the  same  length 
as  the  first  section,  and  the  melodies  are  mostly  the  same,  but 
treatment,  instrumentation,  feeling,  all  absolutely  different. 
The  same  freedom  is  here  shown  that  has  already  been 
noticed  in  the  analogous  portions  of  Nos.  5  and  6 — the 
same  adherence  to  the  broad  general  lines  of  the  structure 
with  constant  novelty  in  the  details.  Thus,  at  the  return  to 
the  original  key  of  A,  after  the  working-out,  the  four  bars  of 
high  E's,  which  at  the  beginning  precede  the  first  subject, 
as  given  in  quotation  No.  6,  are  now  occupied  by  a  pre- 
liminary *  offer  at  the  subject  by  a  playful  scale  of  semi- 
quavers in  the  strings,  twice  given  until  the  theme  itself  is 
reached : — 


No.  14. 


Wind 


^msn  snjrn  .rij-xn 


^ 


wAz 


Strings 


mm 


Piuf        "T^  t5- 


*  Somewhat  of  the  same  nature  as 'the  qfers  at  the  subject  of  the  Trio  in  the 
C  minor  Symphony  on  its  retuxTi.      ^ 

Grove.— Beethoven's  Nine  Symphonies. — Noyeilo's  Edition.      K 


250 


SEVENTH   SYMPHONY. 


The  scales  are  given  again  twenty-three  bars  later  in  the 
oboe  alone.  This  is  a  specimen  of  the  freedom  shown  in 
this  movement  and  for  which  the  reader  must  examine  the 
score  for  himself. 

Again,  the  first  Tuttij  after  the  pause,  where  the  violins 
originally  led  the  entire  band,  sempre  fortissimo  (after  the  end  of 
quotation  6),  in  thu  repHse  is  changed  to  an  oboe  solo  dolce^ 
with  quiet  harmonies  in  the  strings,  and  with  imitative  accom- 
paniment in  the  flutes,  clarinets,  and  bassoons,  forming,  with 
the  silvery  tones  of  the  oboe,  a  combination  of  extraordinary 
beauty.  And  this,  again,  is  followed  by  a  passage  of  broad 
chords  in  the  strings,  and  staccato  notes  in  the  bass — 


No.  16. 


A.^p^^j^V,iM^,^i^j^^ 


^ 


51± 


ee 


m 


r>P 


ff- 


5^1 


m 


y^ 


3=0»e± 


=MS^ 


I5G 


g^ 


1    h       =t- 


Cello  sustains. 


The  rhythm  is  marked  as  strongly  as  possible  throughout 
the  movement,  and  there  is  hardly  a  bar  which  does  not 
contain  its  two  groups  of  dotted  triplet-quavers,  varied  and 
treated  in  the  most  astonishingly  free  and  bold  manner. 
When  Beethoven  does  abandon  it,  in  the  Coda  at  the  close 
of  the  movement,  it  is  to  introduce  the  celebrated  passage 
which  at  one  time  excited  the  wrath  and  laughter  of  the 
ablest  of  his  contemporaries,  though  now  universally  regarded 


WEBER'S   JUDGMENT. 


251 


as  perfectly  effective,  characteristic,  and  appropriate.  In  this 
passage  the  violas  and  basses  repeat  the  following  two -bar 
figure  (in  the  bass)  ten  times,  for  twenty  bars — 


No.  16.  (Skeletons 

Flutes  J- 


increasing  in  force  throughout  from,  pianissimo  to  fortissimo — 
against  a  '  pedal  point '  on  E  in  the  rest  of  the  orchestra, 
four  octaves  deep,  from  the  low  horns  to  the  high  notes  of 
the  flute.  It  was  for  this  that  the  great  Carl  Maria  von  Weber 
is  said  to  have  pronounced  Beethoven  'fit  for  a  madhouse.' 
Such  mistakes  are  even  the  ablest,  best  instructed,  and 
most  genial  critics  open  to  I 

III.  Not  less  strongly  marked  or  less  persistent  than  the 
Vivace  is  the  march  of  the  Allegretto  ^  which  is  all  built  upon 
the  following  rhythm^ 


No.  17. 


or,   to  use   the  terms   of  metre,   a   dactyl  and  a  spondee 

I  -  v/  w  I 1 .     This  theme  was  originally  intended  for  the 

second  movement  of  the  third  Rasumoffsky  Quartet — in  C 
(Op.  59,  No.  3) — and  is  to  be  found  among  the  sketches  for 
that  Quartet  in  *1806. 

*  See  Nottebobm,  Zvmte  Beethoveniana,  pp.  86,  101, 


252 


SEVENTH    SYMPHONY. 


Here,  again,  tliere  is  hardly  a  bar  in  the  movement  in  which 
the  perpetual  beat  of  the  rhythm  is  not  heard,  and  yet  the 
feeling  of  monotony  never  intrudes  itself,  any  more  than  it 
does  in  the  Pastoral  Symphony.     This  is  the  opening — 


No.  18. 


Wind 


strings  p  Ten.  ♦  * 


The  dashes  and  dots  are  here  given  as  they  are  in  the 
MS.  at  Mr.  Mendelssohn's  house,  and  in  the  edition  of 
Haslinger.  In  Breitkopf  s  complete  edition  dots  are  sub- 
stituted for  the  dashes  throughout.  Surely  this  should  not 
have  been  done  without  a  note  to  call  attention  to  the 
change.     But  to  resume. 

f  The  movement  is  full  of  melancholy  beauties ;  the  vague 
[soft  chord  in  the  wind  instruments  with  which  it  both  begins 
and  ends;  the  incessant  pulse  of  the  rhythmical  subject  just 
spoken  of;  the  lovely  second  melody  in  accompaniment  to 
that  last  quoted — 


No.  19. 


^.^"T  I  ^-  ^fegr^^^^^^jgg 


Viola  &  Cello 


which  turns  out  to  have  been  *concealed  under  the  first 
subject — a  chain  of  notes  linked  in  closest  succession,  like  a 
string  of  beauties  hand-in-hand,  each  afraid  to  lose  her  hold 
on  her  neighbours  ;  it  begins  in  the  violas  as  a  mere  sub- 


*  When  Beethoven  played  before  Mozart  in  1790,  Mozart  gave  him  a  subject 
to  extemporise  upon  which,  if  properly  understood,  contained  a  counter-subject. 
(Hogarth  on  Beethoven,  p.  19.)  Beethoven  was  not  taken  in;  he  detected  the 
chance  that  Mozart  had  given  him ;  and  here  he  has  done  something  analogous. 


A   BEAUTIFUL   INTERMEZZO. 


258 


ordinate  accompaniment,  but  becomes  after  a  while  the 
principal  tune  of  the  orchestra.  More  striking  still,  perliaps, 
is  the  passage  where  the  clarinets  come  in  with  a  fresh  melody 
(note  the  delicious  syncopations),  the  music  changing  at  the 
same  time  from  A  minor  to  A  major,  the  violins  to  a  light 
triplet  figure,  and  the  effect  being  *exactly  like  a  sudden  gleam 
of  sunshine — 


No.  30. 


Clarinet 


dolee. 


*^  Fag.  in  8ves.  -^  —       zr     — 


m-t.z—:iw=-vzw=z^-\se- 


r— y: 


:t=f: 


One  of  the  interests  of  this  passage  is  that  it  may  have 
suggested  a  similar  beautiful  change  (in  the  same  key)  in  the 
Andante  con  moto  of  Mendelssohn's  *  Italian  '  Symphony.  At 
any  rate,  Beethoven  himself  anticipated  the  change  seven 
years  before,  in  the  Intermezzo  of  the  Funeral  March  in  the 
*  Eroica,'  where  the  oboe  preaches  peace  and  hope  as 
touchingly  as  the  clarinet  does  here,  with  a  similar  change 
of  mode  too,  and  a  similar  accompaniment  in  the  strings. 
Even  this  short  relief,  however  (but  thirty- seven  bars), 
does  not  appear  to  please  the  composer :  we  seem  to  see 
him  push  the  intruder  away  from  him  with  an  angry  gesture 
of  impatience — 


No.  21. 


Fl.f-f:«4l'  »    •^,    s/ 
.  4-  4-  -P  -.-  r-ic  ^-  _ '  I  » 


f^rm- 


■^'  »  ,  «/ 


f  »    f   » 


*  The  phrasing  of  this  beautiful  passage  appears  to  have  been  somewLal 
altered  in  the  '  Complete  Edition,'  but  without  any  notice  to  that  elfect. 


254 


SEVENTH   SYMPHONY. 


and  almost  hear  him  exclaim,  'I  won't  have  it,'  as  he 
returns  to  the  key  of  A  minor,  and  to  the  former  melody  (No. 
18),  given  in  three  octaves  by  the  flute,  oboe,  and  bassoon, 
with  a  semiquaver  accompaniment  in  the  strings.  During 
this,  as  well  as  during  the  truly  heavenly  melody  which 
we  have  been  describing  and  quoting  (No.  20),  the  bass, 
with  a  kind  of  *  grim  repose,'  keeps  up  inexorably  the 
rhythm — 


No.  22. 


with  which  the  movement  started,  tho 

One  fatal  remembrance,  one  sorrow  that  throwa 
Its  black  shade  alike  o'er  our  joys  and  our  woes,* 

and  maintains  it  even  through  the  fugato  which  so  effectively 
continues  the  latter  half  of  the  movement — 


No.  23. 


•Berlioz's  quotation  from  Moore  {Vojjage  mxtsical,  Parig,  1844,  i.,  326). 
The  passage  shows  how  finely  Berlioz  can  appreciate,  when  he  can  prevent  his 
unagination  from  running  riot. 


THE   ALtEOBETTO.      A   PAVOUEITB   IK    FEANCE. 


255 


^Si** 


^d=-Cf^=^p^ 


^ 


sempre  pp 


xj: 


The  fugato  is  as  strict  as  if  its  composer  had  not  been 
Beethoven,  but  some  mediaeval  maker  of  *  canons,'  to  whom 
structure  was  everything  and  fancy  nothing. 

No  wonder  that  this  Allegretto  was  encored  at  the  first 
performances  of  the  Symphony,  or  that  it  was  for  long  one  of 
the  few  of  Beethoven's  movements  that  could  be  endured  in 
Paris.  '  La  septieme  symphonie,'  says  *BerHoz,  *  est  celebre 
par  son  Andante,  En  parlant  de  Beethoven  en  France,  on 
dit  rOrage  de  la  Symphonie  Pastorale,  le  Fmale  de  la 
Symphonie  en  ut  mineur,  V Andante  de  la  Symphonie  en  la. 
It  is  even  said  that  Beethoven's  Second  Symphony  in  D  could 
only  be  tolerated  when  this  A7idante  (or,  more  accurately. 
Allegretto)  was  substituted  for  its  own  most  beautiful  and 
graceful  Larghetto.  Very  good  for  those  early  days,  but  the 
Concerts  Populaires  should  have  cured  the  Parisians  of  such 
absurdities. 

Beethoven  appears  in  the  latter  part  of  his  life  to  have 
been  very  anxious  that  this  movement  should  not  be  taken 
too  fast,  and  even  to  have  wished  that  the  tempo  should 
be  changed  to  Andante  quasi  Allegretto.  See  the  subject  dis- 
cussed in  Nottebohm's  Beetlwveniana,  page  21.  There  can 
be  no  doubt  that  we  now  often  play  his  music  faster  than  he  in- 
tended, or  perhaps  than  the  orchestras  of  his  day  could  play  it. 

IV.  The  fourth  movement,  Presto,  with  its  subsidiary 
Presto  meno  assai  (not  entitled  Scherzo  and  Trio,  though 
they  are  so  in  effect),  one  of  Beethoven's  greatest  achieve- 


*  Berlioz  {Voyage  musical,  i.,  321). 


256 


SEVENTH    SYMPHONY. 


ments  in  a  field  peculiarly  his  own,  is  no  less  original, 
spirited,  and  entrainant  than  the  two  which  have  preceded 
it.  As  in  No.  4,  the  Trio  is  twice  *given.  The  movement 
opens  in  the  key  of  F;  but  before  the  first  twenty  bars  are 
over  it  is  in  A,  in  which  key  the  first  division  ends — 


No.  24. 


P,        T 


p^ES^^^: 


:il=ilt 


t-T=P 


^=^- 


t      f      t 


»  T         4 


-* »      itj      ■ 1- 


Out  of  this  region  Beethoven  escapes  by  a  daring  device- 


No.  25. 

Str, 


f>P 


r^f 


^g=^jgg|^g 


rzjrrzTpp 


—which  brings  him  at  a  blow  into  C,  and  pleases  him  so 
much  that  he  immediately  repeats  the  operation  in  the  new 
key,  and  so  gets  into  B  flat.  The  whole  of  this  Scherzo  is  a 
marvellous  example  of  the  grace  and  lightness  which  may  be 
made  to  play  over  enormous  strength,  and  also  of  Beethoven's 
audacity  in  repeating  his  phrases  and  subjects. 


*  The  repeats  of  the  Trio  seem  to  hp'^e  been  first  played  in  England  by  Costa, 
as  Conductor  of  the  Philharmonic  Society.  The  Musical  World  of  May  19, 
1849,  records  :  '  The  Schei-zo  was  liked  all  the  better  for  being  played  as 
Beethoven  wrote  it.     Mr.  Costa  had  judiciously  restored  all  the  repeats.' 


SCHERZO    AND    TRIO. 


257 


In  analysing  Symphony  No.  1,  in  C,  and  speaking  of  its  so- 
called  Minuet — which  is  really  &  Scherzo — we  said  (p.  11)  that 
it  has  features  which  prove  its  relationship  to  the  Scherzos  of 
the  later  Symphonies.  Here  is  one  of  them,  as  will  be  seen 
by  a  comparison  of  the  following  passage  fi-om  the  Minuet  of 
1800  with  the  quotation  just  given — 


No.  26. 


The  Trio — Presto  mem  awai  (slightly  slower) — is  an  absolute 
contrast  to  the  Scherzo  in  every  respect.  It  is  one  of  those 
movements,  like  the  Andante  in  the  G  major  Piano  Concerto 
of  this  great  composer,  which  are  absolutely  original,  were 
done  by  no  one  before,  and  have  been  done  by  no  one  since. 
It  begins  with  a  melody  (which  it  is  difficult  to  believe  was 
not  floating  in  Schubert's  mind  when  he  wrote  the  first 
phrase  of  his  Fantasie-Sonata  in  G,  Op.  78,  for  piano  solo) 
in  the  clarinets,  accompanied  as  a  bass  by  the  horns  and 
bassoons,  and  also  by  a  long  holding  A  in  the  violins.  Of 
this  we  quote  an  outline  of  the  first  portion.  The  key 
chanojes  from  F  to  D  : — 


No.  27. 


Viol.  1. 

^u    's''-                -^-'               ^' 

^^r^-r^^T  >-  h-P-^ 

4-F^=-  -T— J 1       -      '     1  ^-F-T 

Clar.  cZoice 

t^  r*,    I- 


^ 


:?=^ 


This  melody  we  now  know,  on  the  perfectly  trustworthy 
authority  of  the  *Abbe  Stadler,  to  have  been  a  pilgrims'  hymn 


*  Thayer,  BeeiJioven,  iii.,  191. 


258 


SEVENTH   SYMPHONY. 


in  common  use  in  Lower  Austria,  and  is  an  instance  of  Bee- 
thoven's indifference  to  the  sources  of  his  materials  when  they 
were  what  he  wanted,  and  would  submit  to  his  treatment. 
(See  the  Pastoral  Symphony,  page  212).  The  melody  is  re- 
peated by  the  oboes,  with  a  similar  accompaniment. 

The  second  portion  of  the  Trio  is  in  keeping  with  the  first. 
The  long  holding  A  is  maintained — 


No.  28. 


Horn  2 


but  the  horn  soon  takes  a  more  marked  part  than  before,  a 
2-4  phrase  forced  into  3-4  rhythm,  and  gradually  increasing 
in  oddness*  and  prominence — a  little  less  perhaps  now  than 
in  the  days  of  the  old  French  horns  (when  a  horn  was  an 
individual,  a  person,  and  not  a  mere  orchestral  instrument, 
as  the  valve-horn  is) — 


No.  29. 


Cor. 


— till  it  brings  back  the  first  portion  of  the  tune,  this  time  in 
the  full  band.  The  return  from  this  (key  of  D)  to  the  Scherzo 
(key  of  F),  through  a  C  natural  pfp^  is  as  strong,  as  affecting, 

*  Schumann  {Oes.  Schriften,  1st  Ed.,  i.,  184)  gives  this  as  an  instance  of  th« 
comic.     Of  humour  ;  but  surely  not  of  fun. 


TRIO.       THE   HORNS. 


259 


an3    as   •romantic'  a   point  as  can  be  found  in  the  whole 
S^Tuphony — 


/To.  30. 


Violins 


I ^  r  ' 


Prestc 

ri^ 

N 

L   r 

^ — E 

" 

^f 

fT^~l 

/Tut 

ti 

&C. 

-  p 

NfiFfe^ 

^M 

li^ 

....  I. 

^—Mt- 

Jr 


r  r 


The  music  seems  ahnost  to  go  out,  as  if  it  were  a  flame. 

Powerful  as  he  always  is,  Beethoven  is  never  more  a 
magician  than  when  he  has  the  horns  to  conjure  with.  We 
have  mentioned  one  most  touching  passage  in  the  Trio  of  the 
Eroica ;  and  the  horn  does  miracles  in  the  Adagio  of  the  Ninth 
Symphony. 

V.  The  Finale  forms  an  extraordinary  climax  to  all  that  has 
gone  before  it.  In  the  second  and  fourth  Symphonies  we  have 
called  attention  to  Beethoven's  curious  wilfulness,  and  disregard 
of  the  conventionahties  of  others.  The  Finale  of  the  fourth 
gives  us  a  fine  example  of  him  when  overflowing  with  fun ; 
and  the  first  and  last  movements  of  No.  5  show,  as  nothing 
else  perhaps  does,  his  extraordinary  power,  majesty,  pomp, 


260 


SEVENTH    SYMPHONY. 


and  strength.  But  all  these  are,  if  we  may  say  so,  within 
bounds.  Though  strange,  they  contain  nothing  which  can 
offend  the  taste,  or  hurt  the  feelings,  of  the  most  fastidious. 
Here,  for.  the  first  time,  wo  find  a  new  element,  a  vein  of 
r'bugh,  hard,  personal  boisterousness,  the  same  feeling  which 
inspired  the  strange  jests,  puns,  and  nicknames  which  abound 
in  his  letters,  and  the  rough  practical  jokes  of  his  later 
years  ;  a  feeling  which  prompted  him  to  insult  the  royal  family 
at  Teplitz,  for  no  reason,  apparently,  but  to  perpetrate  a 
practical  joke  on  the  sensitive  courtier  Goethe  ;  a  feeling 
which  may  lie  at  the  bottom  of  the  fugues  of  his  later  life. 
For  this  condition  he  himself  had  a  special  and  expressive 
term — aufgekndpft,  or,  as  we  should  translate  it, 'unbuttoned'; 
Schumann*  calls  it  hitting  out  all  round,  scJdagen  um  sich, 
*  Here,'  says  Wagner,  *  the  purely  rhythmical  movement,  so 
to  speak,  celebrates  its  orgies. 'f 

The  movement  shows  its  quality  at  tlie  very  outset.  It  is 
marked  Allegro  con  brio,  and  it  opens  with  four  preliminary 
bars,  containing  two  great  explosions,  thus — 


No.  31. 


r    I  III 


Str.^'Wind  ^ 


*  Oesavimelte  Schriften,  1st  Ed.,  i.,  172. 

t  Waguer  on  Conductuig,  Mr.  Dannreuther's  translation,  p.  37. — *  But 
compare  the  roughness  of  the  opening  and  concluding  niovemeuts  of  this 
work  with  the  grace,  loftiness,  and  even  deep  devotional  feeling  of  its  middle 
sections,  and  we  are  presented  with  similar  puzzling  contrasts  to  those  so 
often  fuund  in  Beethoven's  life,  where,  in  his  journals  and  letters,  we  find 
religious  and  personal  appeals  to  God,  worthy  of  one  of  the  Hebrew  Psalmists, 
side  by  side  with  nicknames  and  jokes  which  would  befit  a  harlequin.' 


THE   FINALE. 


261 


and  these  are  arranged  not  only  so  as  to  give  them  the  most 
abrupt  effect,  but  also  so  as  to  sound  what  they  are  not. 
They  are  really  the  chords  of  the  dominant  of  A,  whereas  they 
sound  as  if  they  were  the  tonic  of  E,  and  the  D  natural  in  the 
second  explosion  is,  in  effect,  a  practical  joke  of  the  rudest 
kind.  After  this  comes  the  first  subject  of  the  Allegro,  strange, 
furious,  and  not  attractive — 


No.  32. 

Wind 


accented  on  the  weak  beat  of  the  bar,  and  accompanied  by  loud 
chords,  extending  through  four  octaves  of  the  rest  of  the  orchestra. 
The  sketch-book  contains  an  early  form*  of  the  figure — 


No.  33. 


and  another  one,  more  like  that  actually  adopted  (see  No.  32), 
will  be  found  in  Beethoven's  accompaniments!  to  the  Irish  air 
*  Nora  Creina ' — 

No.  34. 


^^^^^^^ 


r-r-r- 


-tf— b^^- 


^^P^^^^i^ 


♦  Ziceite  Beethoveniana,  p.  110. 

f  No.  8  in  Part  258  of  Breitkopf  &  Haitel's  complete  edition. — I  owe  this  to 
my  friend,  Dr.  C.  V.  Stanford. 


262 


SEVENTH    SYMPHONY. 


Whether  the  Song  was  composed  before  the  Symphony,  or  the 
Symphony  before  the  Song,  is  a  matter  of  doubt,  Mr.  Thayer's 
chronological  *list  only  giving  the  general  date  1810-1815  for 
the  whole  of  the  national  songs.  But  inasmuch  as  the  triplet 
figure  and  the  interval  of  a  minor  sixth  are  integral  parts  of 
both,  and  as  the  phrase  is  so  much  stronger  in  the  Symphony 
than  it  is  in  the  song,  the  song  is  probably  the  earlier  of 
the  two. 

Then  after  a  reference  back  to  the  crashing  chords  of  the 
initial  four  bars  of  the  movement  (No.  31),  a  new  subject 
appears  (beginning  in  the  wind  and  going  on  afterwards  in  the 
strings  in  double  notes),  as  harsh  and  uncompromising  as  the 
first  subject  (No.  32)— 


No.  35. 

Wind    ,♦     .     ,     f     ,     . 


^ 


This  leads  into  a  modification  of  the  first  subject- 
No.  36. 


VioLa. 


Viola  bvuluwei 


■FCgr^ 


which  may  have   been   in   Goetz's   mind   when   composing 
the  Finale  to  his  Symphony. 

This    is    continued   in    a    series    of   phrases    of    dotted 
quavers,  all  hard  and  harsh,  and  ends  in  C  sharp  minor, 


*  Qhronologisches  Verzeichniss,  &c.,  1865,  p.  94. 


HiECOND    SUBJECT.       TURBULENT   HUMOUR. 


263 


in  which  key  the  *  second  subject '  proper  appears,  full  of 
vigour  and  elasticity,  and  with  more  sentiment  than  the 
previous  portion  of  the  movement  would  have  led  us  to 
expect — 


#^Tf^^^^#^^^ 


^ 


Fag> 


,  ten. 


dimJT^ 


Fag, 


Notice  the  humorous  octaves  in  the  bassoon,  in  bars  5,  7, 
and  9,  and  the  force  obtained  by  throwing  the  emphasis  on  to 
the  latter  half  of  the  bar,  and  taking  it  off  the  former,  in  the 
last  four  measures  of  the  quotation.  In  this  rhythm  there 
is  some  charming  capricious  work,  from  top  to  bottom  of  the 
scale  among  the  strings,  after  which  the  first  half  of  the 
Finale  ends.  The  movement  is  in  the  ordinary  Symphony 
form  ;  the  first  portion  is  repeated,  and  then  the  working-out 
commences ;  and  here  the  wild  humour  and  fun  distance 
anything  that  has  gone  before.  The  abrupt  transitions  and 
sudden  vagaries  (as  in  the  last  line  of  the  next  quotation, 
where  the  treble  laughs  at  the  bass,  and  the  bass  laughs 
back  in  return),  like  the  rough  jokes  and  loud  shouts 
of  a  Polyphemus  at  play,  are  irresistible,  and  bring 
Beethoven  before  us  in  his  most  playful,  unconstrained,  and 
*  unbuttoned '  state  of  mind.     The  force  which  animates  these 


264 


SEVENTH    SYMPHONY. 


violent  actions  is  nowhere  else  so  overpoweringly  manifested 
as  here,  unless  it  be  in  some  parts  of  No.  8. 


No.  38 


Jl^^^^S^^^^^ 


te 


m 


Sifeis: 


-f^m- 


J=tr:=t 


^3;=^ 


M£ 


rr 


^ 


9m-^ — — 

m 


p^ 


^2= 


^ 


&G. 


The  force  that  reigns  throughout  this  movement  is  literally 
prodigious,  and  reminds  one  of  Carlyle's  hero  Eam  Dass,  who 
had  ♦  fire  enough  in  his  belly  to  burn  up  the  whole  world.' 

The  state  of  mind  which  this  movement  reveals  to  us  ia 
apparently  very  characteristic  of  the  extremely  free  and  playful, 
though  innocent,  intercourse  of  the  society  at  Teplitz  in  the 
autumn  months  of  1811.  Some  evidence  of  this  is  given  by 
one  of  Beethoven's  letters  to  Tiedge,  dated  Teplitz,  6th  Sept., 
1811,  containing  the  following  odd  passage,  in  which  he  has 
curiously  confounded  his  own  personality  with  that  of  his 
correspondent.  Tiedge  had  left  with  the  ladies  mentioned 
at  the  beginning  of  these  remarks:  'And  now,'  saya 
Beethoven.  '  may   you  fare    as  well  as  it  is    possible  for 


BOCIETT   AT   TEPLITZ.  266 

poor  hnmairity  to  do.  To  the  Countess  (Recke)  give  a  very 
tender  but  respectful  clasp  of  the  hand  ;  to  Amalie  (Sebald)  a 
very  fiery  kiss,  when  there  is  no  one  to  see  us,  and  we  two 
embrace  as  men  do  who  have  the  right  to  love  and  honour 
one  another.' 

Indeed  the  place  was  pervaded  by  a  wonderful  atmosphere 
of  unrestraint.  Varnhagen  and  Rahel  may  have  been 
examples  of  the  high  ideal,  but  the  following  story  admits 
us  to  a  less  formal  school  of  attachment.  Ludwig  Lowe, 
the  actor,  whom  we  have  already  mentioned,  had  fallen  in 
love  with  Theresa,  the  daughter  of  the  host  of  the  '  Stern.' 
The  father  heard  of  the  attachment  and  questioned  the  lover, 
who  thereupon,  for  the  sake  of  the  girl,  discontinued  his  visits ; 
but  meeting  Beethoven  a  few  days  afterwards  and  being 
asked  why  he  had  given  up  the  Stern,  he  confessed  what  had 
happened,  and  asked  the  composer  if  he  would  take  charge  of 
a  note  to  the  young  lady.  Beethoven  at  once  consented  not 
only  to  do  this,  but  to  bring  back  the  answer,  and  apparently 
acted  as  go-between  during  the  remainder  of  his  visit.  The 
attachment  was  a  perfectly  honourable  one,  but  Theresa  died 
soon  after  Lowe  had  left  Teplitz.  .  .  ,  The  story  was 
told  to  Mr.  Thayer*  by  Marie  von  Breuning  a  few  years  ago. 
Irregular  conduct,  no  doubt;  but  such  is  the  natural  soil 
for  fine  music  and  poetry. 

A  somewhat  similar  picture  to  that  given  in  the  last 
quotation  will  be  found  in  the  Coda  of  the  Finale  to  the 
Eighth  Symphony,  which  was  inspired  by  almost  identical 
surroundings,  and  breathes  throughout  the  same  spirit  oi 
almost  reckless  joviality.  A  gigantic,  irresistible  humour 
pervades  the  greater  part  of  the  movement,  till  the  arrival  of 
the  Coda.  This  portion  of  the  movement  exceeds  in  length  any 
of  its  predecessors.  It  is  124  bars  long,  and  commences  with 
the  same  feature  as  that  on  which  we  commented  at  the  outset 
of  the  Finale  (EiiL,  31),  and  which  indeed  acts  as  the  harbinger 

*  See  Thayer,  iii.,  178. 
GroTe.— Beethoven's  Nine  Symphonies.— Novello  s  Edition.       3 


266 


SEVENTH    SYMPHONY. 


of  each  of  its  main  diviKions.  In  this  truly  noble  final  section 
of  his  work,  as  the  great  composer  approaches  the  close  of  his 
labours,  he  lays  aside  for  a  time  his  animal  spirits  and 
rough  jokes,  and  surrenders  himself  to  the  broader  and  more 
solemn  impressions  which  always  lay  in  his  mind,  impres- 
sions graver  even  than  those  which  inspired  him  during  the 
conclusion  of  the  first  movement,  in  connection  with  which  we 
have  already  referred  to  the  passage  we  have  now  to  consider, 
(See  page  251.)  This  is,  like  that,  a  moving  pedal,  on  E, 
alternating  with  D  sharp,  and  lasting  for  more  than  twenty 
bars.  During  the  whole  of  these,  and  the  preceding  passage 
of  equal  length,  where  the  bass  settles  down  semitone  by 
semitone  till  it  reaches  the  low  E — 


No.  39. 

— 1 h 

'~T—\' 

— 1 — |- 

— 1 — T 

— 1 — -p 

— ) 1- 

1       1  ■ 

— 1 T" 

1 7^ 

}^^:?|!-jz^ 

:^ 

Lj-A. 

^^^ 

^rJ-J- 

l^J±i: 

^iat 

^   ly 

t^i±i, 

vp'-J  ti^^J-^- 


&0. 


the  strings  are  occupied  by  imitations  and  repetitions  of  the 
original  figure  (No.  31),  and  the  wind  by  long  holdiug  notes, 
the  whole  forming  a  passage  of  pathos,  nobility,  and  interest 
rivalled  only  by  the  passage  which  closes  the  opening  move- 
ment of  the  Ninth  Symphony.  But  repose  is  no  permanent 
mood  of  Beethoven's  at  this  time.  Beneath  the  surface  of  this 
broad  noble  calm  we  seem  to  hear  the  elements  of  the  storm 
Ltill  working  below  in  the  recesses  of  the  ocean  and  gradually 
forcing  their  way  to  the  top.  The  figure  so  incessantly 
repeated  by  the  two  violins  is  in  itself  an  incentive  to  more 
violent  agitation.  As  the  long  pedal  proceeds  the  sound  rises 
always  louder  and  louder  until  at  length  it  reaches  a  very 
unusual  pitch  of  loudness  (///) — a  truly  furious  burst.     The 


INDIVIDUALITY  OF  BEETHOVEN's   WORKS.  267 

fourteen  bars  of  this  furious  passage  are  then  repeated,  and  the 
two  form  an  explosion  without  parallel  in  Beethoven's  music, 
or,  indeed,  in  any  music  since.  They  fairly  lift  the  hearer 
from  his  seat,  and  form  an  unexampled  climax  to  one  of 
the  most  stupendous  movements  in  the  whole  range  of 
music.  After  this,  in  a  short  time,  the  Sjniphony  comes  to 
an  end. 

The  entire  contrast  between  the  foregoing  Symphony  and 
this  is  truly  extraordinary,  perhaps  the  most  remarkable 
tliat  can  be  found  in  the  whole  series.  We  have  more 
than  once  insisted  on  the  distinct*  individuality  of  these 
wonderful  works,  and  have  drawn  attention  to  the  fact  that 
each  Allegro,  each  Andaiite,  each  Scherzo,  each  Finale  has 
not  even  a  family  likeness  to  either  of  the  corresponding 
eight  movements.  But  that  so  wonderfully  calm  and  objective 
a  work  as  No.  6  should  be  followed  by  music  so  vivacious 
energetic,  and  personal  as  that  which  we  have  just  been 
attempting  to  consider,  is  indeed  almost  beyond  comprehen- 
sion. For  this  power  no  one  can  compare  with  Beethoven 
but  Shakespeare. 

The  publication  of  the  work  seems  to  have  caused 
Beethoven  even  more  than  usual  trouble.  The  original  edition 
of  Steiner  and  Co.,  the  quarto  of  December,  1810,  is  an  ugly 
production,  in  every  respect  inferior  to  the  well-engraved  and 
careful  octavos  of  the  first  six  Symphonies.  Nor  was  it 
merely  slovenly,  it  was  incorrect,  and  Mr.  Thayer  t  has 
printed  a  letter  from  Beethoven  to  the  firm  on  the  subject, 
which  is  not  pleasant  to  read  : — 

The  matter  of  this  Symphony  is  very  annoying  to  me,  since  it  is 
unfortunately  the  case  that  neither  parts  nor  score  is  correct.  In 
the  copies  which  are  already  prepared  the  mistakes  must  be  corrected 
in  Indian  ink,  which  Schlemmer  [his  copyist]  must  do ;  and  a  list  ol 

*  Coleridge  remarks  {Table  Talk,  February  17,  1833)  that  Shakespeare 
cannot  be  copied  because  he  is  '  universal,'  and  'has  no  manner  ' ;  and  this  is 
eqr.ally  true  of  Beethoven,  and  probably  explains  why  he  founded  no  school. 

t  iii.,  497. 


268  SEVENTH    SYMPHONY. 

all  mistakes  without  exception  must  also  be  printed  and  supplied.  The 
score  as  engraved  might  have  been  written  by  the  most  clumsy  copyist ; 
it  is  an  inaccurate,  defective  affair,  such  as  has  hitherto  never  appeared 
of  any  of  my  works.  This  is  the  consequence  of  your  inattention  to  the 
corrections  and  of  your  not  having  sent  it  me  for  my  revision,  or  not 
having  reminded  me  about  it.  .  .  .  You  have  treated  the  public  with 
neglect,  and  the  innocent  author  suffers  in  his  reputation  I 

The  passage  in  the  Vivace  (bar  109  after  the  double-bar)  to 
which  Mr.  Joseph  Bennett,  on  the  information  of  Mr.  Silas, 
called  attention  in  the  Daily  Telegraph  of  July  22  and  29, 1893, 
and  which  was  the  subject  of  letters  and  remarks  in  the  Musical 
Times  of  August,  September,  and  October  of  the  same  year, 
is  probably  one  of  the  passages  of  which  Beethoven  complains. 
In  this  bar  the  strings  have  the  chord  of  A  major  and  the 
wind  that  of  D  major. 

The  first  performance  of  the  Symphony  in  England  took 
place  at  the  Philharmonic  on  June  9th,  1817,  so  that  the 
Society  had  evidently  been  on  the  watch  and  had  procured 
the  score  immediately  after  its  publication.  There  is  a  very 
fair  notice  for  those  days  in  the  Morning  Chronicle  of  June  16; 
but  excepting  the  Allegretto ^  which  is  qualified  as  '  one  of 
the  most  exquisite  pieces  of  music  that  we  know,  and  a  perfect 
gem,'  the  work  is  not,  in  the  opinion  of  the  critic,  *  in  any 
way  comparable  to  many  others  by  the  same  writer.'  This 
is  hardly  to  be  wondered  at,  and  is  of  a  piece  with  the  opinions 
of  the  Paris  critics,  and  even  those  of  North  Germany,  which 
we  have  already  noticed  (p.  237).  Beethoven  was  at  this  and 
later  date  much  interested  in  English  opinion.  At  a  later  date 
he  took  the  English  papers  home  with  him,  and  read  the 
debates  on  the  slave  trade  with  admiration,  and  was  familiar 
with  the  names  of  Brougham  and  others.  Now  he  seems  to 
have  consulted  them  only  on  musical  topics.  The  '  Morning 
cronigle,'  as  he  calls  it,  of  March  22,  1816,  had  contained  a 
notice  of  another  of  his  Symphonies  (probably*  the  '  Eroica '  or 
C  minor),  which  was  performed  at  the  concert  of  March  11  ; 
•  No  key  is  uamed  in  the  programme. 


EARLY    ENGLISH   OPINIONS.  269 

and  he  not  unnaturally  supposed  that  this  was  his  No.  7, 
and  wrote  to  Neate,  then  in  London,  on  May  15  of  the  same 
year,  enquiring  about  it.  Neate,  however,  corrected  his 
mistake,*  and  the  Symphony  did  not,  as  we  have  said,  make  its 
appearance  here  till  the  following  year.  A  MS.  note  on  this 
performance,  by  the  late  William  Ayrton  (one  of  the  Founders 
of  the  Philharmonic  Society),  says  :  *  All  except  the  movement 
in  A  minor  (the  Andante)  proved  carfare ;  but  other  beauties  by 
degrees  became  patent,  though  a  curtailment  of  at  least  ten 
minutes  would  improve  it.'  And  this  from  a  ripe  and  by 
no  means  reactionary  musician !  Seven  years  later  the 
following  paragraph  appears  in  The  Harmonicon,  an  excel- 
lent musical  periodical,  edited  with  great  care  and  skill  by 
the  same  writer :  *  Beethoven's  Symphony  in  A  has  before 
been  mentioned  in  this  work.  Frequent  repetition  does  not 
reconcile  us  to  its  vagaries  and  dissonances,  though  we  admit 
the  movement  in  A  minor  to  be  a  chef  d'oeuvre,  and  that  which 
in  our  opinion  alone  secures  to  the  other  parts  of  the  com- 
position a  hearing'  (1824,  page  122).  What  musician,  now-a- 
days,  would  shorten  the  work  by  a  semiquaver,  or  express  so 
absurd  an  opinion  as  to  the  proportion  of  the  Allegretto  to  the 
other  movements  ? 

After  1817  the  Symphony  does  not  appear  in  the 
Philharmonic  programme  for  some  years,  and  the  next 
performance  opened  the  first  concert  of  1821,  on  February  2G. 
In  Paris  the  first  performance  took  place  on  March  1, 1829,  at 
the  second  Concert  of  the  Conservatoire  for  that  season.  It 
was  repeated  four  weeks  later,  and  thenceforward  appears  on 
the  programmes  with  tolerable  regularity. 


In  this  glorious  work  there  is  no  falling  off.    It  has  not 
perhaps  the  terrible  directness  which  is  characteristic  of  the 

•  See  Moscheles's  Life  of  Beethoven  (Trans,  of  Schindler),  ii.,  235,  239,  242. 


270  SEVENTH   SYMPHONY. 

C  minor ;  but  in  variety,  life,  colour,  elasticity,  and  unflagging 
vigour  it  is,  if  possible,  superior  to  any  of  its  predecessors, 
while,  with  all  its  force,  length,  and  weight,  no  sense  of 
weariness  is  produced  ;  but  notwithstanding  its  dimensions, 
in  which  it  exceeds  all  but  the  Ninth,  one  hears  the  last  bar 
with  regret ;  it  is  animated  by  its  wonderful  author  with  that 
extraordinary  and  undying  life  of  which  he  seems  so  fully  to 
have  possessed  the  secret. 


It  is  a  rare  thing  for  Beethoven  to  mention  his  compositions 
in  terms  of  praise  or  blame,  but  he  has  made  an  exception 
in  favour  of  this  Symphony.  He  names  it  twice — first  in  a 
letter  to  Salomon  (June  1,  1815) :  'A  grand  Symphony  in  A, 
one  of  my  best  works';  and  again  in  an  English  letter  to 
Neate,  in  which  occur  the  words :  *  among  my  best  works 
which  I  can  boldly  say  of  the  Symphony  in  A,* 


N.B. — Page  266.  The  two  fjfs  mentioned  are  given  in 
the  first  edition  (4to,  lithographed,  1816),  which  certainly  had 
Beethoven's  full  revision ;  but  in  the  folio  (engraved,  1827). 
of  which  the  same  is  not  so  sure,  they  are  given/'. 


SYMPHONY  No.  8,  in  F  majoe  (Op.  93). 

1.  Allegro  vivace  e  con  brio.     (^ 69.)     (F  major.) 

2.  Allegretto  scherzando.     (J* _88.)     (B  flat.) 

3.  Tempo  di  minuetto.     (J_126.)    (F  major.) 

4.  Allegro  vivace.     (<sj— 84.)     (F  major.) 


Score. 
2  Drums  in  F  and  C. 
2  Trumpets  iu  F. 
2  Horns  in  F. 
2  Flutes. 
2  Clarinets. 

Double  bass. 


2  Oboes. 

2  Bassoons. 

1st  and  2nd  Violins. 

Violas. 

Violoncello. 


N.B. — In  the  second  movement  the  Trumpets  and  Drums  are  silent, 
and  the  Horns  become  Corni  in  B  flat  basso.  In  the  Finale  the  Drums 
are  tuned  in  F,  and  in  octaves. 

First  Edition,  a  small  4to,  lithographed,  a  companion  to  No.  7. 
•  Achte  grosse  Sinfonie  in  F  dur,  fiir  2  Violinen,  etc.,  von  Ludwig  van 
Beethoven,  93te3  Werk.  Vollstandige  Partitur.  Eigenthum  der  Verleger. 
Wien,  im  Verlage  bey  S.  A.  Steiner  und  Comp.'     1816. 

The  parts  were  published  also  by  Steiner  (No.  2,571),  in  1816,  probably 
with  those  of  No.  7. 

Second  Edition,  large  folio  (No.  7,060),  133  pages,  engraved,  a  com- 
panion to  that  of  No.  7,  published  in  1827,  by  Tobias  Haslinger,  of  Vienna. 

The  original  manuscript  of  the  Eighth  Symphony,  once  in 
the  possession  of  Herr  Carl  Haslinger  of  Vienna,  and  now 
in  the  Royal  Library  at  Berlin,  has  fortunately  escaped  the 
destructive  hands  of  the  bookbinder,  which  inflicted  so  much 
damage  on  that  of  No.  7.  It  is  inscribed  by  the  composer 
»  Sinfonia — Lintz  im  Monath  October  1812  ' — in  other  words, 
four  months  after  May,  1812,  usually  accepted  as  the  date  of 


272  EIGHTH   SYMPHONY. 

it3  predecessor.  Beethoven's  practice  wag  to  sketch  hia 
Symphonies  during  his  summer  hoUday  in  the  country,  and 
to  elaborate  and  score  them  in  town  during  the  winter  and 
spring.  He  did  this  with  No.  7  ;  but  the  Eighth  Symphony 
is  an  exception  to  the  rule.  The  *sketch-bookg  show  that  it 
was  begun  immediately  after  the  completion  of  No.  7,  and  the 
Symphony  must,  therefore,  have  been  finished  in  the  astonish- 
ingly short  period  of  time  of  four  months!  Nottebohm'a 
fverdict  is  that  it  was  sketched  in  the  main  at  the  Bohemian 
baths,  and  completed  at  Linz. 

Beethoven  had  now  been  suffering  for  some  time.  Of  the 
nature  of  his  ill-health  we  have  no  clear  accounts.  It  was 
probably  some  aggravated  form  of  indigestion.  At  any  rate, 
it  was  now  ^chronic,  and  sufficiently  severe  to  take  him  again 
to  Tephtz,  where  he  had  passed  so  pleasant  a  time  in  the 
preceding  autumn  ;  and  there  we  find  him  on  July  7,  1812, 
living  at  the  Oak — *  in  der  Eiche ' — whether  an  inn  or  a 
district  does  not  appear— at  No.  62. § 

On  his  arrival  Teplitz  was  full  of  people  of  rank,  who  had 
assembled  there  after  the  departure  of  the  Emperor  Napoleon 
for  II Russia,  to  consult  over  their  common  unhappiness ; 
amongst  them  were  Beethoven's  friends,  the  Princes  Kinsky 
and  Carl  Lichnowsky,  and — what  was  of  more  interest  to 
him — Goethe,  Vamhagen  von  Ense,  Bettina  von  Arnim,  her 
brother  Clemens  Brentano,  and  her  sister  Frau  von  Savigny. 

A  concert  for  the  benefit  of  the  town  of  Baden,  near 
Vienna,  which  had  recently  been  nearly  burnt  down,  was 
given  at  Teplitz  on  August  6,  and  in  this  Beethoven  took 
much  interest.  He  left  before  the  end  of  the  month,  by  his 
doctor's  orders,  for  Karlsbad.     On  the  road  somewhere  he 

•  See  Zweite  Beethoveniana,  p.  101. 

flMd.,  p.  118. 

X  Bestandig  is  his  own  word,  in  a  letter  to  Varena,  July  19,  1812. 

§  See  the  lists  given  in  Thayer,  iii.,  203. 

II  lie  crossed  the  Niemen  on  June  24. 


A5f   IMMORTAL   POSTILLION.      TEPLITZ.  273 

encountered  a  postillion,  whose  command  over  his  horn 
struck  him  sufficiently  to  make  him  *record  a  passage  in 
his  note-book : — 

Postilion  von  Karlsbad 


At  Karlsbad  he  apparently  met  Goethe  for  the  first  time,  and 
there  he  had  the  well-known  encounter  with  the  Austrian  royal 
family — a  freak  of  atrocious  manners  on  his  part,  but  probably 
intended  more  as  a  piece  of  bravado  for  Goethe's  benefit 
than  for  any  serious  disrespect  to  his  sovereign,  or  to  rank  in 
general,  as  it  is  usually  interpreted.  On  August  12  we  find  him 
at  Franzensbad,  and  as  his  health  did  not  improve  by  the 
change  he  returned  to  Teplitz.  There,  to  his  great  pleasure, 
he  found  his  dear  friend  of  the  previous  summer,  Amalie 
Sebald ;  he  renewed  his  love  making,  and  a  series  of  amusing 
notes  to  her  have  been  f  preserved,  which  testify  to  the  uncon- 
ventional nature  of  their  friendship.  The  attachment,  however, 
came  to  nothing,  and  she  ultimately  married  a  Prussian  judge. 
From  Teplitz  Beethoven  proceeded  to  Linz  on  the  Danube, 
a  long  journey,  and  on  a  very  singular  errand,  his  object 
being  nothing  else  than  to  put  an  end  to  the  irregular 
connection  between  his  brother  Johann  and  Miss  Therese 
Obermeyer,  a  lady  with  whom  Johann  had  for  some  time 
been  living  in  his  house  there.  What  right  Ludwig  had  thus 
to  interfere  with  the  most  private  concerns  of  his  brother — 
a  man  nearly  of  his  own  age  and  independent  in  his 
circumstances— does  not  appear.  It  supplies  a  warrant  for 
the  expression  contained  in  Goethe's  ^letter  about  him,  that 
he    was    *  an    entirely    uncontrolled    {ungebdndigt)    person,' 

♦  Zweite  Beethoveniana,  289. 
t  Thayer,  iii.,  212,  213,  214. 
J  Goethe  to  Zelter,  Karlsbad,  September  2,  1812. 


274  EIGHTH   SYMPHONY. 

whose  unexpected  bursts — whether  of  noisy  fury  or  equally 
noisy  fun — must  have  been  perfectly  *alarming,  even  to  those 
who,  like  Zelter,  had  not  so  much  sensitiveness  as  Goethe. 
It  is,  however,  certain  that  he  invoked  the  aid  of  the  bishop 
and  magistrates  of  Linz,  and  that  the  poUce  were  actually 
authorised  to  expel  the  lady  from  the  town.  Anyone  who 
recollects  Beethoven's  impetuosity  and  the  fact  that  he  was 
at  this  date  extremely  deaf,  can  realise  the  amount  of 
excitement,  wrath,  and  noise  that  must  have  accompanied 
this  singular  transaction.  It  seems  to  have  led,  at  length, 
to  nothing  less  than  a  personal  combat  between  the  two 
brothers.  Johann,  however,  completely  checkmated  the 
furious  Ludwig  by  marrying  Miss  Obermeyer  on  November  8. 
Beethoven's  animosity  to  her  continued  to  the  fend  of 
his  days,  and  *  Queen  of  Night '  was  one  of  the  offensive 
epithets  that  he  used  in  speaking  or  writing  of  her. 

These  turbulent  proceedings  did  not,  however,  interfere 
with  the  composition  of  the  Symphony,  though  they  no 
doubt  considerably  coloured  it.  The  room  which  he  occupied 
at  his  brother's  was  a  very  pleasant  one,  commanding  a 
wide  view  of  the  Danube  and  the  surrounding  scenery  ;  and 
between  this  and  the  eminence  called  the  JPostlingsberg  there 
was  ample  room  for  the  walks  which  were  so  necessary  to  him, 
both  for  health  and  for  the  maturing  of  his  compositions. 
They  would  be  enough  to  account  for  the  boisterous  character 
of  the  Finale  if  the  music  did  not,  with  all  its  roughness, 
show  an  amount  of  good  humour  quite  at  variance  with  the 
savage  nature  of  the  disputes  we  have  just  been  describing. 
But,  indeed,  it  is  exceedingly  hazardous  to  attempt  to  connect 
Beethoven's  music  with  the  simultaneous  events  of  his  life. 

*  "Auch  icb  hewundere  ihn  mit  Schrecken." — Zelter  to  Goethe,  Berlin, 
September  14,  1812.  Zelter  belonged  to  the  lower  orders— a  rough  man,  who 
for  some  time  was  a  working  mason. 

f  See  page  134. 

X  In  all  these  details,  see  the  testimony  given  in  Thayer,  iii.,  216. 


INFERENCES   TO  BE    DRAWN   WITH   CAUTION.  275 

Two  instances  are  enough  to  show  this,  and  many  others 
might  he  given.  One  is  the  fact  that  the  despair  of  the  letter 
of  1802,  known  as  '  Beethoven's  Will '  (reprinted  at  page  45). 
was  coincident  with  the  satisfied,  happy  mood  depicted  in  the 
Second  Symphony,  of  the  same  date ;  and  the  other  is  the 
fact  that  the  gay  strains  of  the  Finale  to  the  great  B  flat 
Quartet  (Op.  130)  are  actually  dated  with  his  own  hand, 
'November  6'  (1826),  when  he  was  in  the  midst  of  most 
unpleasant  surroundings  at  the  house  of  this  very  brother  at 
Gneixendorf,  near  Krems,  in  constant  contact  with  the  woman 
whom  he  hated  perhaps  more  than  anyone  else  in  the  world,  and 
to  whose  marriage  he  had  endeavoured  to  put  a  stop  fourteen 
years  before.*  (See  the  account  by  Michael  Krenn,  given  on 
pages  131-135).  Inferences  drawn  from  such  external  facts 
as  to  the  compositions  of  the  time  are,  however,  as  already 
said,  at  the  best  very  doubtful.  Some  pregnant  words  of 
Lord  Tennyson's,  given  in  a  recentt  work,  seem  to  bear  on 
this  point — they  are  to  the  effect  that  people  in  general  have 
no  notion  of  the  way  in  which  *  we  poets '  go  to  J  work ; 
and  if  poets  are  thus  inaccessible,  how  far  more  inscrutable 
must  be  the  still  more  irritable  and  unaccountable  race  oi 


•  '  I  am  at  Gneixendorf,'  says  he  to  Tobias  Haslinger  during  this  visit,  in  a 
letter  headed  by  a  few  bars  of  flourish  on  the  name  of  *  Tobias.'  *  The  name 
is  something  like  the  breaking  of  an  axle-tree  '  (Nohl's  Briefe,  i.,  No.  383). 
The  house,  garden,  and  fields  remain  almost  untouched,  and  were  in  excellent 
order,  in  the  possession  of  Herr  von  Schweitzer,  when  seen  by  the  writer  in 
August,  1892.  The  distance  from  the  village  to  Krems  is  about  four  miles, 
a  descending  road,  much  exposed  to  the  North-East  wind,  so  that  there 
is  no  difficulty  in  believing  that  Beethoven's  journey  down  it,  in  an  open 
trap,  on  December  2,  1826,  may  have  given  him  the  cold  which  killed  him  on 
March  26, 1827. 

f  Tollemache's  Benjamin  Joiuett  (p.  103). 

J  '  Tennyson  once  told  me,'  said  the  Master  of  Balliol,  'that  he  could  form  an 
idea  of  the  intellectual  efforts  of  such  poets  as  Byron  and  Shelley — their  state 
of  mind  and  feelings  were  comprehensible  to  him.  But  of  the  state  of  mind 
and  feelings  which  found  expression  in  Shakespeare's  plays  he  could  form  no 
conception  whatever.' 


276  EIGHTH    SYMPHONY. 

musicians.  Handel's  bankruptcy  and  paralysis  do  not  appear  to 
have  interfered  with  the  freedom  of  his  strains,  any  more  than 
did  Mozart's  constant  impecuniosity  and  other  worries  with  the 
gaiety  of  *  Figaro '  or  •  Don  Juan.'  In  literature  we  know  that 
Walter  Scott  dictated  some  of  his  most  dramatic  scenes  while 
rolling  on  the  floor  in  the  agonies  of  cramp  in  the  stomach, 
and  that  he  could  not,  on  the  arrival  of  the  proofs,  recollect 
at  all  what  he  had  written  with  so  much  power  a  day  or  two 
before. 

Beethoven  had  a  great  value  for  this  Symphony.  True,  in 
writing  to  Salomon,  Haydn's  ancient  entrepreneur,  then  living 
in  London,  on  June  1,  1815,  he  speaks  of  it  as  *  a  little 
one '  {klein^  Sinfonie  in  F),  to  distinguish  it  from  the 
*  Grand  Symphony  in  A,  one  of  my  most  important '  {grosse 
Symphonie  in  A,  einer  meiner  vorziiglichsten),  which  he  mentions 
with  it  in  the  catalogue  of  the  music  he  had  to  dispose  of. 
But  this  obviously  refers  to  its  length.  *  Little,'  perhaps, 
for  indeed  it  is  the  shortest  of  the  nine,  except  No.  1,  and 
that  is  only  a  minute  and  a  half  shorter  in  performance ;  but 
in  any  other  respect  it  is  vast.  It  may  be  said  of  it,  as  has 
been  said  of  Beethoven  himself,  who  was  shorter  in  stature 
than  most  men,  that  •  within  that  limited  space  is  con- 
centrated the  pluck  of  twenty  battalions.'  How  prodigious  a 
work  it  is,  no  one  knew  better  than  he  did,  and  his  opinion 
of  it  may  be  judged  from  the  words  which  he  let  drop  after  its 
poor  reception  (page  279).  That  such  appreciation  was  con- 
sistent with  genuine  modesty  on  the  part  of  this  wonderfully 
constituted  being  may  well  be  believed.  How  truly  modest  he 
was  at  this  very  time  is  shown  by  one  or  two  touching 
expressions  in  a  letter  addressed  by  him  at  this  date  to  a 
very  young  lady-worshipper,  'Emilie  M.,  from  H.,'  who, 
'  with  the  sanction  of  her  governess,'  had  ventured  to 
send  him  a  letter-case,  worked  by  herself,  with  a  letter, 
in  which  she  had  obviously  compared  him  to  other  great 
composers,   to   their  disadvantage.     His   answer  is   one   of 


Beethoven's  letter  to  a  child.  277 

the  many  precious  relics  which  we  owe  to  the  devotion  of 
Mr.  Thayer.* 

'  Toplitz,  July  17,  1812. 
*  My  dear  good  Emilie,  my  dear  friend, 

•  My  answer  to  your  letter  comes  late ;  a  heap  of 
business  and  constant  illness  must  be  my  excuse.  The  fact  of 
my  being  here  for  the  restoration  of  my  health  proves  the 
truth  of  my  plea.  Don't  take  away  their  laurels  from  Handel, 
Haydn,  and  Mozart ;  they  are  theirs  by  right,  but  not  so  mine 
yet.  Your  letter-case  shall  be  put  by  with  many  other  tokens 
of  esteem,  which  I  don't  yet  deserve  by  a  long  way. 

•  Go  on ;  don't  only  practise  your  art,  but  force  your  way 
into  its  secrets ;  art  deserves  that,  for  it  and  knowledge  can 
raise  man  to  the  Divine.  Should  you,  my  dear  Emilie,  ever 
want  anything,  write  to  me  without  hesitation.  A  true  artist 
has  no  arrogance  ;  he  sees  with  regret  that  art  is  limitless ; 
he  feels  darkly  how  far  he  still  is  from  the  goal,  and  though 
he  may  be  applauded  by  the  public,  he  knows  with  sorrow 
that  he  is  still  far  from  the  point  where  his  good  genius  is 
shining  like  a  too  distant  sun.  No  doubt  I  would  rather  come 
to  you  and  your  friends  than  to  many  wealthy  people,  who,  with 
all  their  riches,  can't  conceal  the  poverty  of  their  minds.  If 
I  ever  am  in  H.,  I  will  come  to  you  and  your  family.  I  know 
no  other  signs  of  superiority  than  those  which  betoken  good- 
ness, and  where  I  find  these  there  I  make  my  home. 

•  If  you  want  to  write,  dear  Emilie,  address  here — where  I 
shall  still  remain  four  weeks — or  to  Vienna,  it's  all  the  same. 
Think  of  me  as  yours,  and  the  friend  of  your  family. 

*  LuDwiG  V.  Beethoven. 

At  this  time  of  life  (forty-two)  his  love  of  fun  and  practical 
joking  had  increased  so  much  on  him  as  to  have  become  a 

•  See  his  Biography,  iii.,  205. 


278  EIGHTH    SYMPHONY. 

habit ;  his  letters  are  full  of  jokes  ;  he  bursts  into  horse- 
laughs on  every  occasion ;  makes  the  vilest  puns,  and  bestows 
the  most  execrable  nicknames — and  all  this  the  most  when  he 
was  most  happy.  In  fact,  he  had  an  express  term  for  this  state 
of  things,  aufgeknopft — i.e.,  unbuttoned — was  his  own  word 
for  it.  And  as  what  he  had  in  his  mind  was  bound  to  come 
out  in  his  music,  this  comes  out  here  more  than  anywhere  else ; 
indeed,  the  work  might  with  propriety  be  called  the  Humorous 
Symphony — often  terribly  humorous ;  for  the  atmosphere  of 
broad  rough  enjoyment  which  pervades  the  first  and  last 
movements  is  in  the  former  darkened  by  bursts  of  un- 
mistakable wrath,  while  every  now  and  then  there  is  a 
special  stroke — such  as  the  octaves  of  bassoon,  drum,  &c., 
in  both  first  and  last  movements  ;  the  bar's  rest  and  staccato 
notes  which  usher  in  the  second  subject  in  the  first  Allegro; 
the  way  in  which,  in  the  working-out  of  the  same  move- 
ment, the  first  subject  is  persistently  shoved  away  each  time 
it  appears  ;  the  provoking  Italian  cadence  which  finishes  up 
the  Allegretto  just  as  we  want  to  hear  the  legitimate  repeat ; 
in  the  Finale  the  loud  unmusical  C  sharps  ;  the  burst  of 
laughter  with  which  he  explodes  at  the  notion  of  making 
his  Coda,  according  to  practice,  out  of  the  previous  material, 
and  then  goes  off  into  entirely  fresh  subjects  and  regions  ;  the 
way  in  which  the  brass  pull  the  orchestra  back  into  F  natural 
when  it  had  got  into  F  sharp.  These  are  some  of  the  droll, 
comic,  points.  But  there  was  another  humour  which  was  as 
dear  and  as  natural  to  Beethoven  as  fun  was — the  intense  love 
of  beauty;  and  this  is  also  found  in  the  Allegretto,  than  which 
nothing  is  more  lovely  in  the  world ;  in  the  Minuet—  especially 
the  return  to  the  subject  by  the  bassoon — in  the  cantahile 
passages  in  the  Trio,  and  in  the  serenely  beautiful  second 
subject  of  the  Finale. 

The  key   of    this    Symphony    is   the    same    as    that    of 
the  '  Pastoral,'  which   is   remarkable  when   the  very  great 


THE   FIRST   PERFORMANCE.  279 

difference  in  the  contents  of  the  two  works  is  considered. 
Schindler,  *indeed,  states,  as  if  from  the  mouth  of  the  master 
himself,  that  the  peaceful  atmosphere  of  the  country  can 
only  be  conveyed  by  the  key  of  F ;  but  the  question  of  the 
individuality  of  keys,  and  Beethoven's  opinion  in  regard  to 
them,  has  been  already  alluded  to  (p.  239)  and  oannot  be 
discussed  here. 

The  Eighth  Symphony  was  first  performed  in  the  Great 
Redoutensaal,  Vienna,  on  February  27,  1814,  at  a  concert  the 
programme  of  which  contained — (1)  The  Seventh  Symphony ; 
(2)  the  Trio  *  Tremate,'  sung  for  the  first  time  by  Milder- 
Hauptmann,  Siboni,  and  Weinmiiller ;  (3)  the  Symphony  in  F, 
also  for  the  first  time ;  and  (4)  the  Battle  of  Vittoria.  It  was  not 
well  received,  much  more  applause  being  given  to  the  Seventh 
Symphony,  the  Allegretto  of  which  was  redemanded.  The 
non-success  of  his  pet  work  greatly  discomposed  Beethoven, 
but  he  bore  it  philosophically  ;  and,  as  on  the  occasion  of 
the  first  performance  of  one  of  his  great  String  Quartets, 
he  simply  said,  'It  will  please  them  some  day,'  so  now  he 
remarked :  '  That's  because  it's  so  much  better  than  the 
other. 't  It  is  not  even  yet  appreciated  as  it  deserves,  and 
as  it  will  be  hereafter.  It  is  barely  noticed  by  Marx  in  his 
elaborate  (though  often  absurd)  work.  It  is  held  up  by  Lenz 
as  a  *  problem  for  criticism,'  as  if  in  it  Beethoven  had  gone 
back  to  his  earher  style  ;  the  fact  being  that  Lenz  is  misled  by 
the  term  '  Minuet,'  and  that  the  music  is  an  advance  in  some 
respects  even  on  that  of  No.  7.  It  is  patronised  by  Berlioz, 
and  abused  by  Oulibicheff  as  '  la  moins  goutee,'  and  is  less 
often  performed  than  either  of  the  other  Symphonies  after 
No.  2.  So  much  had  it  faded  from  the  view  of  the  musical 
public  in  its  native  city  that  Hanslick  J  recalls  the  significant 


♦  ii.,  167. 

f  Thayer,  iii. ,  273  ;  from  Czoruy. 

X  Aiisdem  ConcertsacU,  p.  319. 


280  EIGHTH    SYMPHONY. 

fact  that  up  to  1850  the  Pastoral  Symphony  was  always 
announced  as  *  Symphony  in  F,  Beethoven,'  as  if  he  had  not 
written  a  second  in  that  key !  It  did  not  appear  in  the 
programmes  of  the  Socicte  des  Concerts  du  Conservatoire* 
till  their  fifth  year — viz.,  on  February  19,  1832,  even  later 
than  the  Choral  Symphony ;   and  was  then  announced  as 

*  Symphonie  inedite,'  though  the  score  had  been  published 
since  1816.  In  England  it  seems  not  to  have  made  its 
appearance  till  the  Philharmonic  Concert  of  May  29,  1826, 
and  its  performance  was  always  the  signal  for  sneers  by 
the  critic  of  the  Harmonicon,  even  smaller  and  nastier  than 
those  which  he  levels  at  others  of  those  now  favourite 
works.  The  reason  of  this,  perhaps,  may  be  found  in  the 
overflowing  fun  and  realism  of  the  music.  The  hearer  has 
before  him  not  so  much  a  piece  of  music  as  a  person.  Not  only 
is  every  movement  pervaded  by  humour,  but  each  has  some 
special  stroke  of  boisterous  merriment,  which  to  those  whose 
minds  were  full  of  the   more   dignified  movements  of  the 

*  Eroica,'  the  C  minor,  or  the  No.  7,  may  have  made  it 
difficult  to  beheve  that  the  composer  was  in  earnest  and  that 
his  composition  was  to  be  taken  seriously.  We  would  here 
call  attention  to  the  fact  that,  though  bent  on  so  much 
exhilaration,  Beethoven  has  confined  himself  throughout 
the  work  to  the  simplest  orchestra — not  a  single  trombone  ia 
employed,  and  in  the  Allegretto  there  are  no  trumpets  or 
drums.  In  the  Finale  the  drums  are — probably  for  the  first 
time,  unless  Sebastian  Bach  has  somewhere  done  it — tuned 
in  octaves. 

Instances  have  already  been  given  of  the  imaginary  and 
unfounded  programmes,  so  confidently  thrust  upon  their readerr 
by  certain  critics,  in  explanation  of  these  great  works,  especiallj 
of  the  Seventh  Symphony.  They  have  not  been  less  at  fault 
in  the  present  case,  where  they  have  attempted  a  similar  task. 

*  See  El  wart's  Histoire  de  la  Socieie  des  Concerts  du  Conservatoire,  Paiis,  1861 
p.  155. 


UNJUSTIFIABLE    PEOGRAMMES.  281 

Thus  Lenz*  treats  the  Seventh  and  Eighth  Symphonies 
and  the  Battle  of  Vittoria  as  intended  to  form  a  'Military 
Trilogy' ;  finds  in  the  Finale  of  No.  8  a  'most  poetical  tattoo,' 
and  quotes  his  favourite  authority,  the  Russian  Seroff,  for 
the  opinion  that  the  triplet  figure  so  frequent  in  that  move- 
ment is  •  an  idealised  roll  of  the  drum.'  Oulibicheff  again 
sees  in  the  Allegretto  a  mere  caricature  of  Rossini.  Berlioz, 
though  he  tells  us  that  the  same  movement  was  composed  at 
a  sitting — tout  d'un  trait — which  is  absurd — is  probably  more 
correct  in  stating  that  the  opening  Allegro  was  written  three 
times ;  for  though  he  gives  no  authority  for  his  statement, 
it  would,  at  any  rate,  be  in  keeping  with  Beethoven's 
tentative  method  of  composing.  These  gentlemen,  in  their 
anxiety  to  form  an  ideal  picture,  forget  the  extraordinary 
human  element  in  Beethoven's  nature.  They  shut  their  eyes 
to  the  fact  that,  dearly  as  he  loved  to  be  in  earnest,  he  loved 
fun  quite  as  dearly  ;  that  Shakespeare  himself  did  not  revel 
in  jokes,  good  or  bad,  more  than  he  did  ;  that  he  was  not 
always  striving  his  utmost  to  reach  the  heights  and  depths  of 
some  lofty  and  ideal  theme.  These  writers  are  like  the  portrait- 
painters  who  give  us,  not  his  natural  expression — would  to 
God  they  did ! — but  the  expression  which  they  think  he 
ought  to  have  had,  when  engaged  on  the  subjects  they 
deem  appropriate  to  a  great  composer.  And  therefore  of  the 
many  portraits  which  exist  of  him  there  is  notf  one  which  is 
satisfactory  or  can  be  accepted,  any  more  than  there  is  a 
genuine  programme  of  his  works  except  in  the  rare  cases  in 
which  he  has  himself  given  us  one.  "With  regard  to  programme, 
Beethoven  has  told  us  that  it  was  his  custom  in  composing 

*  Beethoven,  e,  Kunst-Studie  (1855-60),  iii.,  254. 

f  We  have  elsev/here  stated  that  Sir  Thomas  Lawrence  was  at  Vienna 
during  the  Congress.  Had  he  painted  Beethoven  we  should  have,  if  not  the 
best  possible  representation  of  him,  at  least  an  adequate  portrait  (see  p.  316). 
It  seems  hard  that  there  are  no  portraits  of  the  greatest  of  masters  to  compare 
with  the  delightful  etchings  of  Wagner  in  Chamberlain's  Michard  Wagiier 
(Verlagsanstalt  fiir  Kunst  und  Wissenschaft  in  Munchen,  1895). 

Grove.— Beethoven's  Nine  Symphonies.— Novello's  Edition.       T 


282  EIGHTH    SYaiPHONT. 

to  write  to  a  picture,  and  bad  always  a  scene  before  bim  ;  but 
tbis  does  not  autborise  our  inventing  wbat  we  Hke.  Are  we  suro 
tbat  in  tbe  endless  variety  of  tbe  imagination  we  sbould  see  tbe 
picture  or  event  as  be  saw  it  ?  No,  unless  we  bave  bis  own 
assurance  on  tbe  subject,  we  must  be  rigbt  to  reject  all  sucb 
interpretations  as  tbose  alluded  to.  In  tbe  present  case  it  ia 
surely  enougb  to  bave  tbe  extraordinary  spirit  and  powei 
wbicb  be  bas  put  into  bis  notes  ;  tbe  strong  logic  and 
persistent  common- sense ;  tbe  bealtb,  tbe  bumour,  or  tbe 
beauty  wbicb  animates  every  page  ;  tbe  admirable  combina- 
tion of  instruments  and  tbe  general  consistent  purpose 
wbicb  reign  and  run  tbrougbout  tbis  astonisbing  work  from 
end  to  end,  and  wbicb,  tbougb  tbey  may  not  express  tb em- 
selves  in  words  or  visible  pictures,  military  or  otber, 
leave  an  indelible  impression.  No  I  No  I  in  tbe  '  Eroica ' 
Beetboven  is  absorbed  by  bis  bero,  in  tbe  *  Pastoral ' 
by  tbe  country,  but  in  No  8,  if  we  must  label  tbis 
immortal  work,  it  is  sufficient  to  say  tbat,  perbaps  more 
tban  any  otber  of  tbe  nine,  it  is  a  portrait  of  tbe  autbor  in 
daily  life,  in  bis  babit  as  be  lived ;  and  we  may  be  sure 
tbat  tbe  more  it  is  beard  and  studied,  tbe  more  will  be  be 
found  tbere  in  bis  most  natural  and  cbaracteristic  per- 
sonality. 

Tbe  Sympbony  is  now  in  tbe  key  of  F.  But  it  is  not 
certain  tbat  it  was  always  meant  to  be  so.  Mr.  Tbayer,  in  bis 
Chronologisches  VerzeicJmiss,  No.  170,  bas  quoted  from  tbe 
sketcb-book  a  *  grand  introduction  of  eleven  bars  in  lengtb, 
beginning  in  tbe  key  of  A  major  and  leading  to  an  embryonic 
version  of  tbe  present  opening  in  tbe  key  of  D  major.  Tbis 
is,  bowever,  unnoticed  by  Nottebobm  in  bis  citations  from  tbe 
same  sketcb-book  [Zweite  Beethoveniana,  p.  111).  He  gives 
tbe  following  as  an  early  form  of  tbe  opening— and  it  bag 
some  sligbt  resemblance  to  tbe  ultimate  sbape  of  tbe 
music : — 


THE   FIRST   MOVEMENT. 


283 


Twenty- six  large  pages  are  occupied  with  attempts  in  this 
direction  before  the  actual  present  opening  passage  is  arrived  at. 

In  another  part  of  the  same  sketch-book  is  a  sketch  of  the 
subject  of  the  last  movement,  too  remarkable  not  to  quote, 
since  it  is  one  of  the  many  instances  which  show  how  different 
the  methods  of  invention  are  from  our  conception  of  them, 
and  in  how  crude  and  flat  a  shape  ideas,  which  afterwards 
became  most  successful,  first  occurred  to  the  mind  of  this 
greatest  and  most  indefatigable  of  all  composers.  This  is 
especially  the  case  with  the  Ugato  passage  forming  the  last 
half  of  the  quotation. 

The  sketch  :— 


The  finished  composition  : — 


^    I 


^^=^^^Ui^ 


i^^A=A=J=^^-^ 


other     instances,    equally    remarkable,     of    Beethoven's 
gradual  improvement  of  his  ideas  are  found  io  connection 


284 


EIGHTH   SYMPHONl. 


with  the  Second  Symphony  (in  D),  the  C  minor  and  tho 
Choral  Symphonies,  to  which  attention  has  aheady  been 
called.  In  this,  how  like  to  Beethoven  was  Goethe  (usually 
so  unlike),  who  says  of  his  *  Ballade,'  '  I  carried  it  about  with 
me  a  long  time  before  I  wrote  it  down  ;  there  are  whole  years 
of  thought  crammed  into  it,  and  I  made  not  less  than  three  or 
four  attempts  before  I  could  get  it  into  its  present  shape.' 

I.  Whatever  may  have  been  the  original  speculation  of  the 
composer,  there  is  now  no  Introduction  to  the  first  Allegro,  but 
the  movement  opens  at  once  forte  with  the  subject,  without 
even  a  bar  of  prelude  as  in  the  *  Eroica,'  a  note  as  in  the 
*  Pastoral,'  or  a  rest  as  in  the  C  minor.  The  following  is  tho 
melody  of  the  first  twelve  bars  : — 


No.l. 


AUeqro  vivace  e  con  brio. 


The  opening  phrase  may  perhaps  have  been  running  in 
]\Iendelssohn's  head  when  he  wrote  his  fine  early  String 
Quintet  in  A,  which  begins  with  the  same  intervals,  though  ip 
different  rhythm : — 


No.  2. 


Allegro  con  moto. 


And  here  we  may  stop  a  moment  to  point  out  once  more 
how  fond  Beethoven  is  of  framing  his  principal  subjects  in  the 


THE   FIRST   MOVEMENT. 


285 


notes  of  the  tonic  chord,  so  as  to  impress  the  key  of  the 
movement  thoroughly  on  the  hearer  before  he  begins  to 
modulate.  The  principal  subjects  of  the  first  movements  of 
the  *  Eroica,'  the  First  and  Second  Symphonies,  and  the 
Choral  Symphony,  at  once  occur  to  the  mind.  The  present 
is  another  case. 

The  tune  of  the  subject  is  prolonged  as  follows  for 
a  further  twenty  bars  (we  have  quoted  the  entire 
passage) : — 


Viol.  8v» 


and  treated  with  harmony  of  strange,  humorous  temper;  till, 
after  an  unresolved  discord  of  eight  bars,  a  bar's  rest,  and  an 
unexpected  but  grateful  change  of  key  to  D  minor,  couched 
in  droll  staccato  leaps,  the  second  principal  subject  is  brought 
in  by  the  violins  in  octaves : — 


No.  4. 


Viol.  2,  8va. 


FFI^^^I^.^ 


ma^ 


ritard. 


5^r 


J-,4- 


a  tempo 


Flutes  &  Oboes 


286 


EIGHTH   SYMPHONY. 


The  very  fact  of  beginning  the  theme  in  D  and  ending  it 
in  C  is  a  stroke  of  humour,  which  is  brought  out  still  more 
by  the  ritardando  at  the  sixth  bar.  The  subject  itself  is  full 
of  grace— in  fact,  up  to  this  point  the  leading  part  has  been 
almost  one  continuous  melody.  It  is  in  the  treatment, 
the  harmony  and  accompaniments,  that  Beethoven  betrays 
the  uneasy,  not  to  say  angry,  condition  of  his  temper  at  the 
time. 

A  staccato  character  is  kept  up  all  through  the  thirty-five  bars 
which  connect  the  subject  last  quoted  with  the  next  melody. 
This  is  of  a  still  more  flowing  character  than  the  foregomg. 
It  is  given  out  by  the  flutes  and  oboes  in  octaves,  with  a 
smooth  accompaniment  in  the  bassoons  and  the  rest  of  the 
wind,  and  a  very  pleasant  quaver  figure  in  the  strings,  and 
ending  with  a  return  to  the  staccato  figures  which  had  pre- 
ceded it : — 


No.  5. 


Tutti 


'    ■  doi.   ■  ^)i '  ■  ^iiiij  '-?rff iV  Yf^rr? 


4  A 


Fag. 


J  J  .J  i;^ 


^  i--u^r\\  .r^jn 


Thti  flowing  grace  of  the  two  aubjects  last  quoted  is  now 


THE   FIRST   MOVEMENT. 


287 


and   then    invaded    by    a    spiiit    of    mischief,    as    in    the 
delicate  passage — 


No.  6. 


-T-j r-i 1 


until  we  reach  a  more  decided  outbreak  than  before,  har- 
monised, too,  in  the  contrary  motion  which  is  ^o  obvious  a 
feature  of  this  Symphony :  — 


At  length   comes  a  phrase   which    is    a   more    absolute 
embodiment  of  rude  fun  than  anything  yet  employed : — 


No.  8. 


i 


^3E 


:p=^ 


^^^ 


s 


■ 


^m 


s 


•^strings  in  8ves.  sf 

Four  bars  of  this  phrase  end  the  first  section  of  the  Allegro t 
and  it  is  employed  to  begin  the  working-out  on  the  farther 
side  of  the  double-bar.*  Beethoven  has  so  far  kept  the  wrath 
which  seems  to  animate  him  at  bay ;  but  whatever  the  cause 
it  is  no  longer  to  remain  in  the  background ;  and  it  cornea 
out  with  the  beginning  of  the  working-out  in  very  ominous 
and  intelligible  tones.  The  phrase  last  quoted  is  now  used 
first  as  a  prelude  and  then  as  an  accompaniment  to  the 
group  of  six  notes  which  open  the  movement  (No.  3) ;  each 


*  Compare  Mozart's  similar  course  in  tlie  first  movement  of  the  'Jupiter' 
Symphony. 


288 


KTOHTH    SYMPHONY. 


of  the  two  is  repeated  four  times  consecutively,  and  then, 
as  it  were,  unceremoniously  brushed  away  by  a  loud  'poohl 
pooh  1 '  from  the  whole  orchestra : — 


ob._  .  •^'j.rrh  J. 


Tnttl 


^^ 


-r    T: 


^^-- 


-:^^- 


and  so  on  for  3  bare 

more. 


■L-^-1 


X^X 


^E 


This  occurs  three  times,  arriving  at  last  in  D  minor;  but 
now  the  second  of  the  two  phrases  (that  from  No.  1)  forces 
itself  on  the  attention ;  and  then  there  is  hardly  a  bar  without 
it,  now  in  the  first  part  of  the  bar,  now  in  the  last ;  now  low 
down,  now  high  up,  as  thus  : — 


No.  10. 


FIRST   MOVEMENT.      REPRISE. 


289 


At  length  the  tension  so  caused  becomes  almost  unbearable, 
and  the  original  subject  and  key  return  in  a  wild  tornado — not 
in  the  ordinary  way,  with  the  theme  in  the  treble,  as  at  first, 
but  in  the  basses,  with  all  the  noise  possible  (even//*/,  a  mark 
which  Beethoven  only  very  *rarely  employs),  and  with  the 
rest  of  the  band  in  long  notes  in  the  high  regions : — 


No.  11. 


Tutti  8ve8. 


The  instrumentation  of  this  portion  (the  opening  of  the 
reprise),  where  the  theme  is  somewhat  overwhelmed  by  the 
accompaniments,  and  not  brought  out  with  Beethoven's 
accustomed  definiteness,  is  possibly  intentional,  but  it  has 
been  conjectured  to  be  one  of  the  earliest  instances  of  the 
effect  of  his  deafness,  which  by  1812  had  become  serious, 
though  not  so  bad  as  it  was  in  1824,  when  he  had  to  be 
turned  roimd  towards  the  audience  that  he  might  see  the 
applause  which  they  were  bestowing  on  his  Choral  Symphony 
(see  page  335).  But  to  return.  The  reprise  is  treated  with  the 
greatest  freedom.  The  same  subjects  are  employed  as  in 
the  corresponding  earlier  portion,  but  not  always  in  the 
same  proportions ;  while  the  instrumentation  and  effects 
are  often  entirely  changed  and  the  phrases  are  made  more 
piquant  by  the  use  of  staccato — as  has  been  already  noticed 
in  the  ScJierzo  of  the  C  minor  Symphony.  A  new  phrase 
is  introduced  as  the  accompaniment  to  the  subject  quoted 


*  The  only  instances  that  I  am  aware  of  in  Beethoven  are  the  two  referred 
to  above  and  on  p.  291  ;  Overture,  Op.  115,  fifth  bar  from  end  ;  Overture  to 
•Leonora,  No.  2,'  twic«  ui  finaJ  Presto;  Overture  to  'Leonora,  No.  3,' once 
in  ditto. 


290 


EIGHTH    SYMPHONY. 


as  No.   8,  tLe  phrase  being  most  effectively  placed  in  the 
basses : — 


No.  12. 


The  Coda,  which  is  long — seventy-seven  bars — is  most 
effective.  It  begins  with  the  figure  in  No.  7,  given  with 
irresistible  effect  to  the  bassoon.  A  new  feature  of  great 
ingenuity  and  charm  is  formed  out  of  five  notes  of  the 
quotation  No.  1 : — 


No.  13. 


-^  r  r -Ti 


which  are  worked  in  every  part  of  the  scale  and  the  bar.  The 
effect  is  extraordinarily  telling  in  a  pianissimo  passage,  full  of 
mystery,  with  the  phrase  in  question  in  the  basses  staccato. 
Apart,  however,  from  individual  phrases  and  modes  of  con- 
t;truction,  or  any  other  such  mechanical  points,  there  is  the 
extraordinary  amount  of  violent  emotion  and  fury*  which 


*  1  admit  that  this  does  not  always  come  out  so  strongly  in  performances ; 
but  in  such  performances  as  those,  for  instance,  under  Mr.  Manns  or  Dr 
Richter,  it  does  ;  and  the  eflect  is  such  as  to  leave  no  doubt  in  the  mind  of 
the  hearer  tliat  it  is  what  Beethoven  intended. 


THE  ALLEGRETTO  SCHERZANDO.  291 

animates  the  greater  part  of  the  latter  portion  of  this  move- 
ment. From  the  double-bar  onwards  Beethoven  betrays  a 
feeling  of  wrath  which  I  do  not  remember  in  any  other  of  his 
works,  or  in  any  other  piece  of  music — though  I  am  not  able 
to  speak  of  Wagner.  It  is  not  the  boisterous  fun  which  we 
find  throughout  the  Finale.  Here  it  is  edged  by  a  distinct 
spirit  of  anger.  After  the  final  explosion,  however — a 
second///,  twenty-five  bars  from  the  termination — this  dis- 
appears, and  after  a  few  bars  of  alternate  strings  and  wind, 
the  end  is  reached,  with  great  point,  by  the  soft  repetition 
of  the  identical  six  notes  with  which  it  started. 

The  present  length  of  the  Coda  is  the  result  of  an  altera- 
tion after  the  first  performance.  It  was  originally  thirty- 
four  bars  shorter,  as  is  proved  by  an  ancient  drum-part  used 
at  the  first  performance,  and  still  surviving.* 

II.  After  so  much  commotion  and  combat,  the  well-known 
Allegretto  scherzando  produces  a  most  remarkable  effect.  Its 
grace  and  elegance  would  be  extraordinary  whatever  were  its 
surroundings,  but  in  its  present  position  the  contrast  is  of 
unspeakable  rehef.  Gaiety,  grace,  rich,  though  quiet,  humour 
are  its  characteristics,  clothed  in  a  form  of  indolent,  graceful 
beauty,  which  is  essential  to  the  full  enjoyment  of  this  most 
beautiful  piece,  and  is  missed  entirely  if  the  pace  is  taken  too 
fast.  Wagner,  I  know,  suggests  that  the  Allegretto  should 
be  taken  rather  quick  and  the  following  Minuet  slow.  He 
is  probably  right  about  the  Minuet ;  but — I  say  it  with  deep 
respect — certainly  not  as  to  the  Allegretto. f 

The  originality  and  beauty  of  its  opening  are  remarkable, 
the  melody  being  in  the  strings  and  the  accompaniment  in 

*  Nottebohin,  Beethoveniana,  p.  25. 

f  Why  must  we  take  music  at  so  much  faster  a  pace  than  it  could  have  been 
played  at  in  the  time  of  its  composer?  The  whole  world  moved  more  slowly 
then  than  it  does  now,  even  so  soon  after  the  impulse  of  the  French  Revolution. 
Moreover,  the  players,  especially  the  wind  instrument  players,  could  not  have 
played  at  the  pace  to  which  we  are  accustomed,  however  hard  they  tried. 


292 


EIGHTH   SYMPHONY. 


fche  wind  instruments,  who  reiterate  their  crisp  chords  with 
an  indescribably  charming  effect  : — 


't^fW^ 


rcr> 


Nothing  can  exceed  the  delicacy  with  which  this  delicious 
dialogue  is  conducted. 

Beethoven  would  have  been  amused  if  he  could  have  fore- 
seen that  his  friend  Romberg*  would  adopt  this  melody  for  the 
opening  of  the  Finale,  Allegretto,  of  his  Concerto  for  cello  and 
orchestra,  No.  8,  in  A,  but  so  it  is  : — 

No.  15. 


Not  less  remarkable  is  the  second  subject,  as  graceful  as 
before,  but  with  more  obvious  humour,  and  irresistibly  sugges- 
tive of  a  sportive  conversation,  with  muttered  objections  from 
the  basses,  though  all  with  perfect  good  nature  : — 


No.  16. 


5   '^  SS   w* 


I  owe  this  to  my  friend,  Mr.  George  Herbert. 


ALLEGRETTO  SCHERZANDO.   CANON.        293 


m 


« — »- 


ii^gaJslsN^^i 


ir^Si 


m 

•^Oboe 


1PP  crei. 


Viol. 


This  Allegretto  is  the  shortest  of  all  the  movements  in 
Beethoven's  Symphonies.  The  abrupt  and  disappointing 
close  with  the  commonplace  Italian  cadence  of  tonic  and 
dominant,  instead  of  the  expected  repeat,  is  obviously  one  of 
the  jokes  incidental  to  Beethoven's  frame  of  mind,  and  to 
which  one  has  to  submit.  Oulibicheflt  interprets  the  movement 
as  a  caricature  of  Rossini,  whose  extraordinary  popularity  in 
Vienna  was  often  a  subject  of  remark  with  Beethoven ;  but 
there  is  no  occasion  for  this.  His  spirits  are  just  now  bo 
high  that  everything  he  touches  is  turned  to  amusement. 
The  lovely  opening  itself  is  the  embodiment  of  a  piece  of  fun. 
It  exists  in  the  form  of  a  Canon  extemporised  at  a  supper  in 
the  spring  of  1812,  and  addressed  to  Maelzel,  the  inventor  of 
the  metronome  (originally  called  the  chronometer),  in  which 
the  ticks  of  that  instrument  are  represented  by  staccato  semi- 
quavers : — 


No.  17. 


» 


Vierstimmiger  Canon.* 
ta  ta  ta  ta  tatata  tata  ta  ta  ta  tatata  ta       lie-ber.lie-berMalzcl. 


:__'^_-^rg-^^jz^^ 


t-        tg* — a>; — »»-;?;■ 


:f^ 


ta  tatata  tata  ta  ta    la, .  .  .  .leben  Siewohl.sehrwohl. 


*  The  Canon  is  given  in  Breitkopfs  complete  Editioji,  No.  256,  2;  set;  also 
ZweiU  Jjeethove7i.iana,  p.  289,  &C. 


294 


EIGHTH    SYMPHONT. 


In  one  of  the  sketches  for  the  Allegretto*  the  idea  is  differently 
given  : — 


No.  18.  g! 

Theina.     f* 


■:w=.ft=w. 


1 — I — r 


^^^ 


&0. 


The  date  of  the  Canon,  as  written,  is  uncertain  ;  it  may  be 
later  than  that  of  the  Symphonyf  ;  it  may  be  earlier. 

Berlioz  J  speaks  of  this  Allegretto  as  having  '  fallen  from 
heaven  straight  into  the  brain  of  its  author,  and  been  written 
at  a  sitting  ' — '  tout  d'un  trait.*  But  this  is  not  a  very  happy 
conjecture,  for  there  are  §  apparently  about  as  many 
sketches  for  it  as  this  great  composer  made  for  any  piece 
of  music,  great  or  small,  which  he  undertook.  Here,  as  so 
often  elsewhere,  in  both  literature  and  art,  what  appears  most 
spontaneous  has  been  the  most  laboured.  More  fortunate  was 
the  exclamation  which  the  movement  forced  from  Schopen- 
hauer, prince  of  pessimists,  that  it  was  sufficient  to  make  one 
forget  that  the  world  was  full  of  nothing  but  misery.  || 

III.  The  Minuet,  or,  more  accurately,  the  Tempo  di  Minu- 
etto,  though  not  so  sparklingly  elegant  as  the  Allegretto,  is  not 
less  finished,  and  is  a  singular  union  of  homely  beauty  and 
humour.  It  begins  very  energetically  with  a  passage  of  two 
bars,  somewhat  boisterously  emphasised  by  the  trumpets,  but 
from  which  the  lovely  theme  springs  in  the  most  spontaneous 
manner: — 


?T^,^p-'^^rf=^'M^Ji^^ 

':^^-'?SZMZ 

Wm^^^r^r^-^^^"^ 

—J      '    do. 

Trump.  8va.  / 


*  Zweite  Beethoveniana,  113. 

f  See  Thayer,  iii.,  221. 

X  Voyage  Musical,  Sytnphonie  en  fa,  i.,  p.  334, 

§  Notteliohm,  Zweite  Beethoveniana,  p.  113. 

|(  Hanslick,  Axes  dem  Concertsaal,  p.  31§. 


MINUET.      WAGNBR's    STRICTURES. 


295 


The  sketch-book  shows  that,  contrary  to  his  usual  fortune, 
Beethoven  found  this  melody  almost  at  once.* 

The  second  strain  is  in  absolute  keeping  with  the  first.  A 
charming  feature  of  this  section  is  the  reprise  of  the  air,  in  the 
mellow  notes  of  the  bassoon,  beautifully  led  up  to.  In  the  first 
portion  of  this  reprise  the  ancient  ecclesiastical  phrase  of  which 
Beethoven  was  so  fond  appears  in  the  basses  pizzicato  with  the 
best  effect,  the  notes  of  the  first  bassoon  (with  second  bassoon 
legato)  sliding  over  it  like  water  over  a  stone  in  the  brook : — 


No.  20. 

i^- 

Fag.  ^ 

m: — ^ 

M. 

-^=4^ 

U 

T^. 

»»  nizz. 

1  r  '  r 

h — 

Z3?=p=ti; 1 

'^     T 

=p= 

1 

pp  'pxzz. 

The  necessity  for  keeping  down  the  pace  of  this  movement 
is  strongly  insisted  on  by  Wagner,  who  makes  it  the  subject 
of  a  highly  characteristic  passage  in  his  interesting  pamphlet, 
Veber  das  Dirigiren.-f  The  remarks  are  all  aimed  at 
Mendelssohn,  of  whom,  as  is  well-known,  Wagner  had  a 
poor  opinion,  and  their  effect  is  greatly  interfered  with  by 
the  personal  bias  which  they  betray.  We  should  like  to  know 
Mendelssohn's  reasons  for  the  faster  pace  which  he  is  said 
to  have  adopted  and  adhered  to. 

The  Trio  (not  so  denominated  by  its  author)  is  as  spon- 
taneous and  graceful  as  the  Minuet.  The  subject  is  given  out 
by  the  two  horns,  with  an  accompaniment  for  a  somewhat 
fidgetty  cello  solo,  which,  perhaps,  points  to  some  circum- 
stance in  the  orchestra.     We  quote  the  opening  as  played  : — 


No.  21. 


dolce. 


*  Zweite  Beethoveniana.  p.  114. 

t  Translated  by  Mr.  Pauureuther  (KeeveH), 


206 


EIGHTH    SYMrHONY. 


The  second  half  of  the  melody  follows  in  the  clarinet,  in  the 
most  reposeful  and  tender  strain.  There  is  a  working-out,  in 
w^iich  a  beautiful  effect  is  made  by  bringing  in  the  first  bar 
of  the  melody  (No.  21)  in  the  basses  and  bassoons  staccato 
with  a  light  accompaniment  over  it. 

The  form  of  the  melody  of  this  Trio  is  curiously  anticipated 
in  a  Minuet  for  two  flutes,  dated  *  1792,  August  28,  abends  12' 
(12  at  night)  and  given  by  Thayer  in  his  Chron.  Verzeichnisst 
Kg.  17  ;— 


No.  22. 

Quani  Allegretto. 

F1.1  J    J.  A  J. 


^ 


F1.2 


&0, 


A  point  in  the  Trio  can  hardly  be  said  to  be  yet  finally 
settled.  We  allude  to  the  third  bar  of  the  horn  passage 
(No.  21),  which  in  the  original  edition  (1816j  appeara  thus, 
in  the  same  rhythm  as  the  two  preceding  it : — 


No.  23. 


In  the  new  *  critical  and  correct '  edition  of  Messrs.  Breitkopf 
and  Hartel  the  rhythm  is  altered,  and  the  bar  is  given  as  in 
our  No.  21.  No  authority  for  the  change  is,  however,  stated, 
and  the  bar  does  not  seem  to  be  mentioned  by  Otto  Jahn  in 
his  well-known  article  on  the  edition.  But  at  a  performance 
of  the  Symphony  at  a  Philharmonic  Concert  at  Berlin,  on 
January  21,  1889,  under  the  direction  of  Dr.  H.  von  Biilow, 
the  old  reading  (No.  23)  was  reverted  to,  on  the  ground*  of  a 


See  the  Berlin  programme-book  of  the  day. 


TKIO   OP   THE   MINUET.      THE   FINALE.  297 

•  correction  of  Beethoven's  own,  made  in  a  copy  of  the  four- 
hand  arrangement  in  the  possession  of  Brahms.'  We  must 
wait  for  more  light  upon  the  point.  The  case  is  probably  an 
instance  of  the  vacillation  so  frequent  in  this  great  master  in 
fixing  his  final  details.  In  one  of  the  sketches  the  bar  in 
question  appears*  thus — with  no  dot  at  all,  as  in  the  early 
nttle  Minuet  (No.  22)  ;— 

No.  24. 
Trio. 


which  looks  as  if  Beethoven,  at  any  rate,  wished  the  rhythm 
of  this  bar  to  be  different  from  that  of  the  preceding  ones. 

IV,  After  the  studied  grace  and  homely  beauty  of  these 
two  elegant  and  soothing  episodes,  we  are  hardly  prepared 
for  a  return  of  violence  and  clamour  equal  to  those  of 
the  first  movement.  Beethoven,  however,  wills  it  so,  and  the 
Finale^  Allegro  vivace,  while  it  is  the  greatest  portion 
of  this  great  Symphony — larger  in  dimensions  and  loftier 
in  spirit  than  either  of  the  preceding  movements — is 
also  the  most  humorous,  not  to  say  boisterous,  of  all.  It 
is  pure  Beethoven,  in  his  most  mature,  individual,  and 
characteristic  vein,  full  of  that  genuine  humour,  those 
surprises  and  sudden  unexpected  effects,  those  mixtures  of 
tragedy  and  comedy,  not  to  say  farce,  which  played  so  large 
a  part  in  his  existence,  and  which  make  his  music  a 
true  mirror  of  human  hfe,  as  true  in  his  branch  of  art  as 
the  great  plays  of  Shakespeare  are  in  his — and  for  similar 
reasons.  The  opening  theme  is  one  of  those  slight,  trivial 
ideas  which  appear  to  contain  nothing,  but  which,  like  an 
ordinary  incident  or  a  casual  action,  may  become  the  germ  of 
the  passion  and  conflict  of  a  life.     It  is  of  such  as  this  that 

*  Zweii-e  Beethoveniana,  p.  116. 
Grove.— Beethoven's  Niiie  Symphonies.— Noveilo's  Edition-       O 


298 


EIGHTH   SYMPHONY. 


Schumann  says :  •  K  you  wish  to  know  what  can  be  made  of 
a  simple  thought  by  labour  and  anxious  care,  and,  above  all, 
by  genius,  then  look  at  Beethoven,  and  see  how  he  can 
ennoble  and  exalt  his  ideas  ;  and  how  what  was  at  the  outset 
a  mere  commonplace  phrase  shall,  before  he  has  done  with 
it,  become  a  lofty  sentiment  for  the  world  to  prize.' 

With  regard  to  the  instrumentation,  let  us  notice  that» 
though  bent  on  being  noisy,  Beethoven  has  included  no 
trombones  in  his  score,  and  also  that  the  drums  are  here 
(perhaps  for  the  first  time  in  musical  history)  tuned  in 
octaves. 

The  following  is  the  unpretending  way  in  which  this 
tremendous  Finale  enters  the  world : — 


No.  25. 


We  have  already  quoted  an  early  sketch  of  this  theme  (see 
No.  2),  and  it  is  one  of  the  most  instructive  extant,  as  an 
illustration  of  the  justice  of  Schumann's  remark.  No  other 
example  of  the  sketches  shows  more  strikingly  the  common- 
place nature  of  Beethoven's  earliesf  rudimentary  ideas,  and 
the  patience  and  success  with  which  he  turned  his  thoughts 
over  and  over  till  he  had  got  all  that  could  be  extracted  from 
them.    If  genius  has  been  defined  as  *  the  art  of  taking  pains.' 


FINALE.      FIRST   SUBJECT. — HAYDN. 


299 


surely  Beethoven  is  one  of  the  most  remarkable  exemplifi- 
cations  of  the  definition.  But  this  does  not  exhaust  the 
interest  of  the  theme.  It  has  been  recently  *pointed  out  that 
it  is  not  improbably  an  expansion  of  the  opening  of  the 
final  Allegro  in  a  Symphony  of  Haydn's  in  G,  known  in  this 
fcountry  as  *  Letter  V  ' — 

No.  26. 

Allegro. 


Haydn's  work  appears  to  have  been  familiar  to  Beethoven, 
inasmuch  as  he  borrowed  from  it  the  melody  of  the  Largo — 

No.  27. 


and  has  employed  it  no  less  than  five  times  in  his  music. | 

Such  reminiscences,  however,  as  we  have  already  re- 
marked (page  213),  do  not  detract  from  the  originality  of  the 
composer  to  whom  the  reminiscence  occurs.  It  is  the 
treatment  that  reveals  the  real  creator,  and  in  the  present 
case  Beethoven  has  completely  vindicated  his  originality  by 
the  tremendous  feature  which  he  has  attached  to  Haydn's 
trivial  little  phrase.  For  this  innocent,  domestic,  idyllic  theme 
is  interrupted  in  its  happiest  and  quietest  moment  by  a  loud 
and  sudden  C  sharp,  in  unison  and  octaves,  given  with  the 
whole  force  of  the  entire  orchestra,  following  on  an  unusually 
soft  C  natural.  The  change  from  natural  to  sharp,  the  sudden 
energy  of  the  fortissimo  after  the  piajiissimo,  and  its  occurrence 


♦  By  Mr.  Shedlock  in  The  Pianoforte  Sonata  (Methuen),  p.  167,  note  1. 

f  No.  13  in  the  8vo  edition  of  Haydn's  Symphonies  by  Breitkopf  &  Hartel. 

:J:  Namely,  in  the  Solo  Sonata,  Op.  10,  No.  1,  Allegro  molto;  in  the  String 
Quartet,  Op.  18,  No.  5,  Trio ;  in  the  Violin  Sonata,  Op.  30,  No.  3,  Tempo  di 
minuetto;  in  the  Pianoforte  Trio,  Op.  70,  No.  2,  Allegretto;  and  ia  the  Solo 
Sonata,  Op.  110,  Moderato  cantabile,  bar  5 


300 


EIGHTH    SYMPHONY. 


in  the  weak  portion  (tlie  'up-beat')  of  the  bar,  all  combine 
to  make  this  huge  note  as  prominent  and  as  unbearable  aa 
possible.  It  comes  upon  the  artless  passage,  which  it  so 
rudely  interrupts,  like  a  sudden  stroke  of  fate  on  the  life  of 
some  gentle  child.  Not  that  this  great  blow  produces  more 
than  a  transient  impression  at  first ;  the  theme  is  roused  by 
it  only  to  temporary  energy,  and  soon  pursues  its  course  with 
all  its  original  artlessness.  The  C  sharp  has,  indeed,  both 
here  and  on  its  next  occurrence,  some  pages  ahead,  no 
musical  significance.  It  is  a  mere  cry  or  noise,  and  does 
not  affect  the  music,  which  proceeds  after  it  in  the  key  of  F 
exactly  as  before.  It  is  not  till  the  Coda  (page  305)  that  it 
causes  any  change  in  the  modulation— any  serious  effect  on  the 
course  of  the  composition — in  fact,  till  then  it  is  a  huge  joke. 
The  *  second  subject'  is  of  a  different  character  and  graver 
beauty.  The  orchestra  is  arrested  upon  a  sudden  A  flat  (after 
G — one  of  Beethoven's  favourite  transitions),  and  a  soft 
passage  begins — a  lovely  melody,  first  in  the  violins  and  then 
in  the  oboes,  one  of  those  '  soft  Lydian  airs '  which  truly  pierce 
'the  melting  soul,'  and  'bring  all  heaven  before  the  eyes,' 
and  which  then  passes,  by  a  transition  of  remarkable  beauty, 
into  the  key  of  C  major,  in  which  it  seems  to  go  straight  up 
to  heaven : — 


(Bar  7  in  the  first  violin  contains  a  fine  example  of  what  may 
be  called  the  '  appoggiatura  of  passion,'  a  favourite  with 
Beethoven.)  The  curious  discrepancy  between  the  tonality  of 
the  beginning  and  end  of  this  theme  is  itself  a  bit  of  humour, 


FINALE.       SECOND    SUBJECT. 


301 


and  recalls  the  similar  fact  already  noticed  in  tlie  second 
theme  of  the  first  movement  (see  No.  5). 

This  beautiful  and  dignified  melody  is  repeated  immediately 
in  the  wind  with  a  very  full  accompaniment  in  the  strings, 
and  then  has  a  Coda  or  termination  of  the  following  nature 
■ — four  bars  up,  and  four  down  : — 


No.  29. 

-^' 

n       ''           "^ 

'    11- 

k-« 

((f>^'  r  en 

r  r   rs^ 

-f-^-^&zi 

h — I tia 

- — -— — H" 

M 


rrrirrrrir=F 


all  harmonised  in  the  roughest  and  most  boisterous  manner, 
and  terminating  with  a  loud  explosion,  exactly  as  if  Beethoven 
had  jumped  out  in  front  of  one  with  a  loud  and  very  terrible 
*  Boh ! ' 

The  movement  is  cast  in  Rondo  form,  and  thus  ends  its 
first  portion. 

The  second  portion  answers  to  the  *  working-out '  in  the 
form  usually  employed  in  these  Symphonies.  It  begins  at 
once  with  a  modification  of  the  opening  phrase  of  No.  25  : — 


No.  30. 


Violas 


and  proceeds  with  a  somewhat  strict  treatment  of  the  latter 
part  of  the  subject,  the  bass  commencing  in  similar  motion  tc 
the  treble,  and  close  imitation,  in  the  following  fashion : — 


No.  31. 


semvre  fi 


302  EIGHTH    SYMPHONY. 

and  afterwards  going  in  contrary  motion  as  thus  : — 


No.M. 

Violin  1 

I 


^P^r^Wf^^f^^f^ 


:if=:w^Wf- 


-ri — ^. 


Viol.  2  / 


and  thus  : — 


VioLl 


which  in  the  end  has  the  better  of  the  first.  The  wind  is  aii 
through  fully  employed,  in  sudden  bursts  from  the  brass, 
answered  by  the  bassoons  and  clarinets,  and  other  passages 
in  which  every  humorous  expedient  is  employed. 

A  phrase  of  seven  notes  from  bars  7,  8,  9  of  the  original 
subject  (No.  25)— 


No.  31. 


is  used  again  and  again  with  a  very  abrupt  effect. 


FINALE.      WORKING-OUT   AND    CODA. 


803 


This  section,  though  full,  is  but  short,  and  ends  with  an 
astonishing  octave  passage — 


No.  35, 

VI. 


^py-  igjg-  ifxilg-     1    =      I   =      \-      \-    Fag.&Dr. /3^ 


Viol.  &  CeUo 

recalling  the  octaves  in  the  first  movement,  though  differently 
treated. 

We  now  arrive  at  the  third  portion  of  the  Finale.  This 
again  begins  with  the  initial  part  of  the  first  theme  in  the 
violins,  accompanied  by  the  wonderful  octaves,  just  quoted, 
in  the  bassoon  and  drum,  a  holding  F  above  the  tune  in 
the  flute  and  oboe,  and  with  other  rich  support  from  the 
wind.  All  is  hushed  and  mysterious,  full  of  sly  humour, 
which  soon  develops  in  the  most  telling  style  by  the  re- 
introduction  of  the  terrible  C  sharp,  after  a  passage  gradually 
diminishing  to  f^pip — like  the  sudden  appearance  of  some 
hideous  mask.  The  comedy  here  is  very  unmistakable 
and  irresistible.  Some  passages  seem  to  say,  as  plainly  as 
possible  :  *  Look  out ! '  '  I'm  coming  1 '  *  I'm  dangerous  I ' 
The  contrary  motion  already  noticed  is  next  used,  often  with 
very  droll  effect.  The  second  subject  has  a  good  deal  of 
space  devoted  to^it  with  its  Coda  (see  No.  29),  and  the 
passage  again  ends  with  a  sudden  very  startling  explosion. 

We  now  come  to  the  final  section  of  the  movement,  call  it 
Coda  or  by  any  other  name  ;  and  this  is  the  most  important 
of  all ;  nearly  240  bars  in  length,  and  exceeding  in  humour, 
and,  it  must  be  said,  also  in  violence,  anything  that  we  have 
yet  encountered.  It  begins  once  more  with  the  originaJ 
triplets  very  quietly  ; — 


No.  36. 


Violins  p 


Violas  P 


804 


EIGHTH    SYMPHONY, 


and  we  might  suppose  that  all  was  joyous  as  before.  But 
not  at  all;  whatever  may  have  been  Beethoven's  intention, 
a  sudden  thought  strikes  him  as  to  the  abr.urdity  of  thus 
repeating  himself.     He  gives  two  hearty  laughs  ; — 


No.  87. 


Bass/ 


(compare  the  Coda  of  the  Finale  of  No.  7,  page  264),  makes  a 
pause,  and  goes  off  with  an  entu^ely  fresh  idea — a  succession 
of  scales  in  exact  contrary  motion : — 


No.  38. 


VioHns  only,  p  p 


JIJ-SJ2-J.  .  JJ2-J72.J. 


Oboel^  1        , 

=^    4— 

=^ 

-J 

T"t^ 

m — 1 

•^     semprepp 

^ J -1 

— f — 

A   4 

— 1 — ^n^i"'^ 

zested 

=4^ 

'^^^-   CL-Z 

s^r   "^~ 

accompanied  by  the  triplets  of  the  original  theme,  and  pro- 
ducing a  most  overpowering  effect.  Here  is  another  example 
of  a  similar  passage,  the  treble  and  bass  being  reversed  in 
position : — 


No-  39.  ciar.  &  Bassoon       ^iSL^  _-      , 


THE   FINALE.      DROLLERY. 


805 


^    — ^^TU^'^ 

^«                                                                                                               &0. 

^        r                -H-^ :JF^ 

This  is  the  beginning  of  a  section  of  more  than  fifty  bars  in 
length,  founded  on  the  constant  recurrence  of  the  scales  as 
quoted,  modulating  into  a  fresh  key  at  each  repetition,  until 
at  length  we  return  to  the  original  key  of  F  and  to  the  octave 
figure  already  quoted,  given  out  as  before  by  the  first  bassoon 
and  the  drums  without  any  accompaniment,  pianissimo,  and 
the  very  soul  of  drollery  : — 


Viol.  2  &  Viola  8va.  p 


Beethoven  here  gives  loose  to  all  the  fun  and  quaint 
humour  with  which  at  this  time  he  was  overflowing.  He  ia 
truly  in  a  most  "unbuttoned"  frame  of  mind,  full  of  grotesque 
joviality.  His  jokes  follow  one  another  with  the  most  comical 
effect.  Such  passages  as  that  already  quoted  (No.  22),  and 
as  the  foregoing,  where  surely  bassoon  and  drum  were  never 
before  at  once  so  simply  and  so  drolly  treated — such  passages 
as  these  are  irresistible. 

This  soft  passage  is  succeeded  by  an  equally  loud  one,  in 
which  the  terrible  C  sharp  (No.  25)  makes  its  appearance 
amongst  the  modest  murmurings  of  the  fiddles  with  really 
overpowering  force.  First  it  comes  as  D  flat  and  then  twice 
as  C  sharp,  each  time  roaring  out  its  presence  in  a  truly  brutal 
fashion.  Here  the  intruder  is  not,  as  before,  a  mere  joker, 
but  exercises  its  due  effect  on  the  fabric  of  the  music.  The 
orchestra  has  now  no  alternative  but  to  go  entirely  into  F 


306 


EIGHTH   SYMPHONY, 


sharp  minor.  From  this  extreme  position,  however,  they  are 
rescued  by  the  trumpets  and  horns,  who  vociferate  their  F 
natural  at  the  top  of  their  voices  until  they  have  again 
collected  the  entire  flock: — 


No.  41. 


•^      8ves/ 


m 


-0  -r- 


1 — r 


F^*?=^^Nrr^=f^=?¥^=^^=^ 

ffrrri 

Trumpets  /         =*                     ^ 

=*and  so  on  for 
seventeen  bars. 

^  *  r  r  : 

, L_  ^J 1 ! \ — 

^r^^^^ 

Through  the  whole  of  this  long  passage,  more  than  100 
bars  in  all,  it  is  difficult  to  shut  out  the  image  of  the 
composer,  like  Polyphemus,  or  Samson,  or  some  other 
mighty  humorist  of  antiquity,  roaring  with  laughter  at  the 
rough  fun  which  he  is  making,  and  the  confusion  and 
disturbance  he  is  inflicting  on  everyone  around  him. 

Beethoven,  however,  is  too  much  an  artist  and  man  of 
sense  to  indulge  this  mood  too  long.  A  milder  though  still 
droll  humour  succeeds,  and  the  outbreak  at  length  ends  by 
the  introduction  in  the  bass— in  keeping  with  the  similar 
practice  already  noticed  in  the  earlier  movements — of 
the  dignified  and  beautiful  second  subject  (No.  28).  It 
is  as  if  Beethoven  could  not  refrain  from  making  an  old 
friend  look  ridiculous,  and  ridiculous  indeed  he  is  made  to 
appear : — 


THE   FINALE.      CHANGE   OP   MOOD. 


S07 


No.  42. 


Viol.  1 


I 


-^  Ob.  Ac. 


I  J  ^    ,  *: 


-0   ,  y 


_^ 


:t=^=t: 


Viol.  2 

Basses 


^:.=-.i^jZnz3|^^ 


^ 


After  this  we  seem  to  hear,  as  it  were,  a  call  for  a  parting 
toast : — 


No.  43. 

Flutes  8va. 


r    r  r  r  r    r  r-fr 


This,  however,  is  the  final  burst  of  fun;  the  mood  softens, 
the  boisterous  spirits  of  the  great  humorist  break  down,  and 
a  softer  change  comes  over  the  face  of  his  music. 

First  we  have  a  pause.  Then,  in  the  clarinets  and 
bassoons,  comes  a  metamorphosis  of  the  first  bars  of  the 
opening  subject  beginning  thus  : — 


Then  first   the  whole   orchestra,  through   eight   bars,  in  a 
succession   of   sforzandos,   and   next   the   wind   instruments, 


308 


EIGHTH    SYMPHONY. 


through  twelve  bars,  as  gentle  as  the   others  were  fierce — 
over  a  pedal  F  and  a  beautiful  string  accompaniment — 


Flutes 


repeat  the  chord  of  A  F  with  which  the  Finale  starts,  in  their 
different  registers,  one  after  another,  with  an  enchanting  and 
quite  peculiar  effect.  Lastly  comes  a  metamorphosis,  lovely, 
but  too  short,  of  bars  six  and  seven  of  the  same  theme  :— 

No.  46.      Flutes  8va. 

PI 


^gS^ 


accompanied  by  the  drums  in  octaves,  as  in  No.  40,  all  very 
soft,  and  producing  an  extraordinarily  tender  effect,  and 
recalling,  as  in  a  dream,  what  the  same  instruments,  now 
so  soft,  were  capable  of  doing  when  urged  to  excess.  Here, 
however,  as  at  the  close  of  the  Andante  of  the  C  minor,  the 
master  seems  reluctant  to  allow  his  emotion  to  be  seen,  and 
ends  with  a  very  noisy  passage. 

Beethoven  was  now  forfcy-two  years  of   age.      In  all  his 
works  there  exists  no  other  instance  of 

That  child's  heart  within  the  man's 
to  compare  with  the  Symphony  of  which  we  have  just  taken 
farewell.  It  is  surely  a  matter  of  congratulation  that  on  the 
eve  of  the  long  and  difficult  period  of  life  on  which  he  is 
about  to  enter  he  should  have  been  permitted  to  enjoy 
a  time  of  such  thoroughly  hearty  and  innocent  merriment  as 
he  has  depicted  in  his  Eighth  Symphony. 


SYMPHONY  No.  9  (Choral)  ,  in  D  minor  (Op.  125). 

Allegro  ma  non  troppo  un  poco  maestoso.    (^ 88.) 

Molto  vivace.    (J._116.)    Presto.     (^116.) 

Adagio  molto  e  Cantabile.     (*/ — GO.)    Andante  moderate.     (^_63.) 

Presto.     (J — 96.) 

Allegro  ma  non  troppo.     (^ 88.) 

Allegro  assai.     (c^ 80.) 

Presto.     (Solos  and  Chorus.)     (D.)     No  metronome  mark. 

Allegro  assai  vivace.    Alia  marcia.     (*  _84.)    (B  flat.)    (Tenor  Solo 
and  Chorus.) 

Andante  maestoso.     (-)__72.)     (G.)     (Chorus.) 

Adagio  ma  non  troppo,  ma  Divoto.     (^ 60.) 

Allegro  Energico.sempre  ben  marcato.  (o 84.)  (D  major.)  (Chorus.) 

Allegro  ma  non  tanto.     {c:} 120.)     (D  major.)     (Solos  and  Chorus.) 

Poco  allegro,  stringendo  il  tempo,  sempre  piu  alio- 

Prestissimo,     {i^ — 132.)     (D  major.)     Maestoso,     [a — 60.)    Prestis- 
simo,    (D  major.)     (Chorus.) 

Score. 
2  Flutes. 
2  Oboes. 
2  Clarinets. 
2  Bassoons. 
4  Horns. 

Basses. 

Four  horns  are  used  here,  probably  for  the  first  time. 

To  the  above  are  added,  in  some  of  the  movements,  3  Trombones,  ft 
Double  Bassoon,  a  Piccolo,  Triangle,  Cymbals,  and  Big  Drum. 

First  Ed.,  a  folio  of  226  pages.  '  Sinfonie  mit  Schluss-Chor  iiber 
Schillers  Ode  "An  die  Freude,"  fiir  grosses  Orchester,  4  Solo  und4Chor- 
Stimmen,   componirt   und  seiner  Maiestaet   dem  Konig  von  Preussen 


2  Trumpets. 

2  Drums. 

1st  and  2nd  Violina. 

Violas. 

Violoncellos. 


810  NINTH    SYMiJnONY. 

Friedrich  Wilhelm  III.  in  tiefster  Ehrfurcht  zugeeignet  von  Ludwio  van 
Beethoven.  125tes  Werk.  Eigenthum  der  Verleger.  Mainz  und  Paris, 
bey  B.  Schotts  Sohnen.  Antwerpen,  bey  A.  Schott.'  [No.  2322.]  1825 
or  '26. 

The  earliest  copies  contain  no  metronome  marks.  These  were  supplied 
later,  but  at  what  date  is  uncertain. 

The  Ninth  Symphony  was  not  ready  for  performance  until 
the  end  of  1823  or  beginning  of  1824,  and  it  is,  therefore, 
separated  from  No.  8  by  a  gap  of  not  less  than  eleven  years. 
Of  the  manner  in  which  these  long  years  were  filled  up  in 
Beethoven's  life  it  will  be  my  endeavour  to  give  a  brief 
account.  It  appears  to  me  desirable  to  show  what  an 
exceedingly  unhappy  and  disturbed  period  it  was,  how  filled 
with  events  and  circumstances  which  would  seem  to  be  in  the 
highest  degree  inimical  to  the  production  of  music  at  all, 
but  to  which,  nevertheless,  are  due  the  Choral  Symphony; 
the  Mass  in  D  ;  '  Fidelio '  in  its  ultimate  form,  including  the 
gay  overture  in  E  ;  seven  prodigious  *Pianoforte  works ;  the 
Liederkreis — the  earliest  example  of  a  '  Cycle  of  Songs,'  and 
still  the  finest ;  and  several  other  works  which  would  be 
remarkable  in  any  composer  but  Beethoven. 

The  Eighth  Symphony  was  finished  in  October,  1812. 
After  his  return  to  Vienna,  at  the  beginning  of  December, 
Beethoven  again  took  up  the  Sonata  for  Piano  and  Viohn  in  G 
(Op.  96),  and  finished  it,  so  that  it  was  played  by  his  pupil, 
the  Archduke  Rudolph,  and  Rode  on  the  4th  January,  1813. 
Beethoven  was  not  pleased  with  Rode's  performance  of  his 
work,  and  in  his  Bonn  dialect  hef  writes  to  the  Archduke  that 
it  had  even  bored  him  a  little — *  schenirte  {i.e.,  geuirte)  mich 
doch  etwas.'  The  two  new  Symphonies  appear  to  have  been 
rehearsed  at  the  Archduke's  on  February  the  20th;  but  at 
present  there  was  no  public  performance  of  either. 

Meantime  Napoleon's  star  was  rapidly  sinking.  We  are  in 
1813.     The  spring  months  brought  to  Vienna  the  news  of 

*  Sonatas,  Op.  90,  101,  106,  109,  110,  111 ;  33  Vars.,  Op.  120. 
t  Letter  (Kochel,  1865},  p.  22. 


MAELZEL.   BATTLE  SYMPHONY.  311 

Moscow  and  the  destruction  of  the  immense  army  in  the 
retreat  from  Russia ;  the  health  of  the  Emperor  had  never 
been*  better,  but  300,000  French  soldiers  had  perished.  The 
War  of  Liberation  had  begun  in  Germany,  and,  notwith- 
standing the  defeats  of  Liitzen  and  Bautzen  (May  2nd 
and  21st),  the  spirit  of  the  German  people  was  fast  rising. 
On  July  13  the  battle  of  Vittoria  (fought  June  21)  was  known 
in  Vienna,  and  by  the  beginning  of  November  the  decisive  rout 
of  Leipzig  and  the  gallant  attempt  of  the  Austrian  and 
Bavarian  troops  to  cut  off  the  French  retreat  at  Hanau  on 
October  30  were  also  known.  Over  this  news  Vienna  was 
in  a  state  of  great  excitement.  Beethoven  was  not  behind 
his  fellow-citizens.  He  was  at  this  time  on  terms  of  in- 
timacy with  Maelzel,  a  very  clever  mechanic,  not  only  the 
inventor  of  the  metronome,  but  maker  of  Kempelen's 
famous  chess  player,  and  of  two  musical  automatons,  the 
Trumpeter  and  the  Panharmonicon  ;  and  he  was  induced  to 
set  to  music  a  programme  of  a  musical  piece  representing  the 
battle  of  Vittoria,  drawn  up  by  this  clever  inventor.  This, 
after  being  arranged  for  the  barrels  of  the  Panharmonicon, 
Beethoven  scored  for  orchestra.  It  occupied  him  from  August 
to  October,  1813,  and  an  occasion  for  its  production  was  found 
at  the  Hall  of  the  University,  on  the  8th  December  in  that 
year,  when  the  programme  contained,  in  addition,  the  Seventh 
Symphony,  for  the  first  time,  and  two  Marches  for  Maelzel's 
automaton  trumpeter.  The  Symphony  was  well  received, 
but  the  battle-piece  took  the  fancy  of  the  public  to  an  extra- 
ordinary degree,  and  the  concert  was  repeated  four  days  later, 
on  the  12th.  The  piece,  entitled  *  Wellington's  Sieg,  oder 
die  Schlacht  bei  Vittoria  '  (Op.  91),  is  in  two  divisions  :  1st, 
the  Schlacht  or  Battle,  founded  on  *  Rule,  Britannia,'  and 
*Marlbrouk';   and  2nd,  the  Sieges- Symphonie  or  Victory. 

*  *La  sante  de  S.M.  n'a  jamais  et6  meilleure,'  is  the  concludiDg  sentence  of 
Napoleon's  despatch  (Molodetschno,  December  3,  1812)  which  detailed  the 
terrible  events  of  the  march  from  Snxolensk. — See  Le  CotiscnU 


812  NINTH    SYMPHONY. 

The  score  was  published  in  1816  by  Steiner,  in  the  same 
moan  lithographed  form  as  Nos.  7  and  8,  and  was  dedi- 
cated to  the  Prince  Regent  of  England — afterwards  George 
the  Fourth.  The  dedication,  however,  was  never  *acknow- 
ledged. 

After  the  concert  of  December  12  a  catastrophe  occurred. 
Beethoven  discovered  that  Maelzel  claimed  the  Battle-piece 
as  his  own  property  in  virtue  of  some  money  he  had  advanced. 
He  at  once  broke  with  the  inventor  and,  more  sua,  proclaimed 
him  a  rogue.  After  a  time  Maelzel  made  off  to  Munich, 
taking  with  him  his  Panharmonicon,  and  also  a  MS. 
orchestral  score  of  the  Battle-piece,  which  he  had  obtained 
without  Beethoven's  consent,  and  caused  to  be  performed 
in  Munich.  Beethoven  at  once  entered  an  action  against 
him  in  the  Vienna  courts,  which  eventually  came  to 
nothing ;  and  addressed  letters  of  protest  to  the  musicians  of 
Munich,  and  of  London,  whither  Maelzel  intended  to  go. 

Meantime  Beethoven  had  again  given  the  concert  on  the 
Bame  general  lines  as  before,  but  omitting  the  Marches 
for  the  '  mechanical  Trumpeter  ' — on  January  2nd,  1814  ; 
and  on  February  27th  he  gave  a  fourth,  with  the  important 
addition  of  his  Eighth  Symphony.  All  these  performances 
were  successful  from  a  money  point  of  view. 

Beethoven  was  not,  however,  able,  with  Maelzel's  depar- 
ture, to  shake  off  his  unmusical  worries.  Prince  Kinsky,  one 
of  the  three  noblemen  who  contributed  to  his  income,  died 
on  the  3rd  November,  1812,  ^without  having  signed  the 
necessary  engagement  to  maintain  the  annuity ;  on  which 
Beethoven  commenced  a  suit  against  his  heirs.  The  suit 
was  withdrawn  two  years  later,  but  meantime  he  was 
extremely  eager  about  it,  and  the  correspondence  and 
anxiety  must  have  been  very  trying  to  him.     *  Such  things,' 

*  See  letter  to  Salomon,  June  1,  1815. 
f  Thayer  in  Dictionary  of  Music,  ii.,  59 


Beethoven's  last  public  appearances.        318 

said  he*  to  his  legal  adviser,  *  exhaust  me  more  than  the 
greatest  efforts  in  composition.' 

It  is  pleasant  to  turn  to  more  congenial  subjects.  In  the 
spring  of  1814  he  twice  played  the  piano  part  of  his  great 
B  flat  Trio  (Op.  97)  in  public,  at  concerts  of  his  old  friend 
Schuppanzigh ;  first  on  April  11th,  for  the  benefit  of  a 
military  charity,  and  again  a  few  weeks  later.  This  was  his 
f  last  appearance  in  public  as  a  piano  player. 

The  revival  of  '  Fidelio '  this  year  must  have  afforded  him 
much  gratification.  It  was  produced  in  its  final  shape,  in  two 
acts,  at  the  Kamthnerthor  Theatre,  on  May  23,  1814.  The 
revision  of  the  book  had  been  in  progress  for  some  months 
under  Beethoven's  old  friend  Treitschke.  It  had  involved  much 
labour  to  Beethoven,  but  he  seems  to  have  been  very  good- 
humoured  over  this  attempt  to  J '  rebuild  the  ruins  of  an  ancient 
fortress.'  It  necessitated  also  the  composition  of  the  fourth 
overture — in  E  ;  which,  however,  was  not  played  till  the  second 
performance,  on  May  26.  His  benefit -concert  took  place  on 
July  18.  A  pianoforte  score  of  the  opera,  prepared  by 
Moscheles  under  Beethoven's  own  direction,  was  published  in 
August.  And  this  gives  Moscheles  an  opportunity  for  an 
interesting  §  anecdote :  '  Under  the  last  piece  of  the  arrange- 
ment,' says  he,  *  I  had  written  Fine  mit  Gottes  Hiilfe — The 
end,  with  God's  help.  Beethoven  was  not  at  home  when  I 
brought  my  manuscript  to  him  ;  and  on  receiving  it  back  I 
found  the  words  added  0  Mensch  hilf  dir  seller — 0  man, 
help  thyself.' 

On  April  15  Prince  Carl  Lichnowsky,  one  of  his  earliest, 
kindest,  and  (notwithstanding  many  a  needless  rebuff)  most 
forbearing  friends,  died. 


•  Letter  to  Kauka,  February  24,  1815. 

f  But    see  Zweite  Beethoveniana,  p.   357,   as  to  his  playing  Op.  lOl  at 
a  Gesellschaft. 
\  His  own  expression.     Letter  to  Treitschke,  March,  ISld. 
§  Lifey  Translation,  i.,  15. 
Grove.— Beethoven's  Niuv.  Symphonies.— Kovello's  Edition.       X 


814  NINTH    SYMPHONY. 

August  16,  1814,*  is  the  date  on  the  autograph  of  the 
beautiful  Solo  Sonata,  Op.  90,  in  E  minor,  written  for  Count 
Moritz  Lichnowsky,  brother  of  Prince  Carl,  by  way  of 
sympathy  and  expostulation  on  his  attachment  to  an  actress. 
Schindler  tells  us  that  the  first  movement  was  to  be  entitled 
*  Kampf  zwischen  Kopf  und  Herz  ' — Contest  between  head  and 
heart;  and  the  second  (there  are  only  two),  *  Conversation  mit 
der  Geliehten ' — Conversation  with  the  beloved  ;  and  that  such 
was  the  composer's  own  explanation  to  the  Count  when  he 
enquired  if  the  music  had  a  meaning.  The  piece  was 
accompanied  by  a  charming  letter  dated  September  21,  1814,t 
in  unusually  good  spirits,  though  coloured  by  a  certain  vein 
of  sentiment  in  a  few  playful  notes  given  at  the  end,  on  the 
word  '  but '  {allein) — 

Adagio. 


Al-lein,   allein,    al-lein. 
Silentium !  1 1 

which  are  a  minor  version  of  Paesiello's  famous  air  *  Nel  cor 
piu,'  on  which  he  had  composed  six  Variations  some  twenty 
years  before. 

In  this  Sonata  we  find  Beethoven  for  the  first  time  writing 
his  directions  in  German  instead  of  Italian.  He  had  for  some 
time  quite  a  fit  of  this  nature,  in  which  Hammerklavier  takes 
the  place  of  Pianoforte,  lebhaft  of  AUegro,  and  langsam  of 
Adagio,  &c. 

A  week  later  died  the  wife  of  Beethoven's  very  good  friend, 
Baron  Pasqualati.  He  commemorated  her  death  soon  after 
in  the  beautiful  *Elegischer  Gesang,'  Op.  118,  a  most 
characteristic  work,  evidently  inspired  by  affection. 

On  October  1  {'Ersten  Weinmonath')  he  completes  the 
Overture  in  C,  Op.  115,  a  piece  which  had  been  in  hand  since 


•  Zweite  Beethoveniana,  p,  298, 
t  In  the  autograph  it  is  1841- 


CONGRESS    OF   VIENNA.       CANTATA.  315 

*1809,  as  the  long  contemplated  embodiment  of  Schiller's  *  Ode 
to  Joy.'  All  allusions  to  Schiller's  Ode,  however,  were 
postponed  for  the  present,  and  the  autograph  of  the  Overture 
is  inscribed  as  for  •  the  Name  day  of  our  Emperor,'  and  as 

*  gedichteff  fiir  grosses  Orchester.' 

In  April,  1814,  Napoleon  was  banished  to  Elba,  and  by 
the  end  of  September  the  representatives  of  the  various 
allied  states  had  assembled  at  Vienna,  though  they  did 
not  go  to  business  till  November.      This  was   the  famous 

*  Congress  of  Vienna,'  an  immense  collection  of  royalties  and 
other  celebrities.  It  was,  in  fact,  the  first  breathing  time  of 
Europe  after  its  dozen  years  of  slavery  and  apprehension  under 
Napoleon's  domination.  No  wonder  the  plenipotentiaries 
could  not  at  once  settle  to  work !  Notwithstanding  the  presence 
of  Wellington  and  Castlereagh  progress  was  so  slow  and  the 
festivities  so  gay  as  to  give  rise  to  the  well  known  remark, 
'  Le  congres  ne  marche  pas,  il  danse.'  Beethoven  seized  the 
opportunity  of  performing  his  new  Symphonies,  and  also  of 
composing  some  music  specially  appropriate  to  so  great  an 
occasion.  For  this  he  chose  a  cantata,  entitled  •  The  glorious 
moment ' — '  Der  \qlorreiclie  Augenhlick' — written  by  Weissen- 
bach ;  he  began  its  composition  for  solos,  chorus  and  orchestra 
in  September,  and  the  first  performance  was  given  on  Novem- 
ber 29,  in  the  Eedouten-Saal,  which  had  been  placed  at  his 
disposal  for  the  purpose  by  the  Government.  Beethoven  was 
permitted  to  issue  the  invitations  in  his  own  name — a  remark- 
able tribute  to  his  position  in  Vienna.  The  concert  was  for  his 
benefit ;  it  was  announced  for  the  26th,  but  postponed  to  the 
29th.  The  programme  contained  the  Seventh  Symphony,  the 
Cantata,  and  the  Battle  Symphony.      The  large  room  of  the 


*  Zweite  Beethoveniana,  p.  '.  75. 

f  The  word  is  ordinarily  used  only  in  reference  to  poetry.  But  see  Beethoven's 
use  of  it  in  a  letter  of  1S17  to  I\Iadame  Streicher  (Nohl,  Brief e.  No.  200), 

J  Republished  to  other  worda  in  1836  as  •  Preis  der  Tonkunst' — 'Praise  ai 
Music' 


816  NINTH    SYMPHONY. 

establishment  was  crowded  with  an  audience  of  6,000  persons, 
and  in  a  *letter  to  the  Archduke  Rudolpli,  Beethoven  describes 
himself  as  '  exhausted  with  fatigue,  vexation,  satisfaction,  and 
delight.' 

The  programme  was  repeated  on  Friday,  December  2nd,  but 
with  a  comparatively  poor  result.  A  third  performance  was 
intended,  but  was  given  up.  One  of  the  fetes  provided  for 
the  Congress  was  a  Tournament  or  Carrousel,  in  the  Riding 
School,  on  November  23,  and  it  would  appear  from  anotherf 
letter  of  Beethoven's  to  the  Archduke  that  he  was  composing 
music  for  it,  which  he  promises  shall  arrive  *  at  full  gallop  ' 
[ynit  dem  schnellsten  Galopp)^  though  nothing  of  it  has  yet  been 
discovered.}: 

In  addition  to  the  profits  of  the  two  concerts,  and  also  to 
his  share  of  those  in  December,  1813,  and  January,  1814, 
Beethoven  probably  received  presents  from  the  various  exalted 
personages — we  hear§  of  200  ducats  (£100)  being  sent  by  the 
Emperor  of  Russia  ;  and  there  were  doubtless  others.  At  any 
rate,  he  now  found  himself  able  to  lay  by  money,  which  he 
invested  in  shares  {Actien)  in  the  Bank  of  Austria. 

To  all  this  rejoicing  the  sudden  news  of  Napoleon's  escape 
from  Elba  and  arrival  in  France  on  the  1st  of  March,  1815, 
put  an  end.  Then  ensued  the  Hundred  Days,  Waterloo,  and 
the  occupation  of  Paris — for  which  last  event  Beethoven 
composed  a  chorus,  '  Estist  vollbracht,'  as  Finale  to  a  dramatic 
piece  by  Treitschke. 

It  is  not  generally  known  that  Sir  Thomas  Lawrence  visited 
Vienna  in  1819.     He  was  sent  by  the  Prince  Regent  to  paint 


♦  Kbchel,  No.  18. 

f  Ibid., 'So.  15. 

X  An  entry  in  Moscheles's  journal  seems  to  claim  this  for  him  {Life  of 
Mosclieles.  Trans.,  Vol.  1.,  p.  16).  The  pieces  for  '  Afnsik  zu  einem 
Ritterballet,'  given  in  the  supplemental  volume  to  Breitkopf's  complete 
edition  (Serie  25,  No.  286),  ar«  youthful  compositions  of  1790. 

§  Nohl,  Beethovens  Lebm,  hi.,  808. 


BIR   THOMAS   LAWRENCE   AT   VIENNA.  317 

the  celebrities  assembled  at  Aix-la-Chapelle,  and  thence  he 
went  to  Vienna,  arriving  early  in  1819,  and  remaining  there 
till  May  3rd.*  It  is  much  to  be  regretted  that  Beethoven  was 
not  included  in  this  commission,  as  the  world  would  then 
have  possessed  a  worthy  likeness  of  the  great  composer,  while 
the  honour  would  have  been  a  pleasant  return  to  him  for  his 
dedication  of  the  Battle  Symphony  to  the  Prince  Regent,  for 
which  no  acknowledgment  appears  ever  to  have  been  made. 

A  violent  quarrel  with  Stephan  Breuning,  which  deprived 
Beethoven  for  many  years  of  one  of  his  oldest  and  most  faithful 
friends,  occurred  some  time  during  the  summer  of  1815,  and 
was  not  adjusted  till  1826. f 

Through  all  this  maze  of  excitement — lawsuits,  fetes^ 
quarrels,  concerts,  production  of  the  opera,  interviews  with 
emperors,  &c. — the  music  that  was  composed,  if  small  in 
quantity,  was  of  first-rate  quality.  True,  the  two  Cello 
Sonatas  which  form  Op.  102  have  never  become  popular,  and 
the  Overture  in  C  (Op.  115)  has  not  obtained  the  public 
appreciation  which  Beethoven's  orchestral  works  usually 
receive.  But  the  Overture  in  E,  known  as  '  Fidelio,'  and 
the  Sonatas,  Op.  90,  96,  and  101,  stand  very  high  in  that 
class  of  work.  It  is  impossible  not  to  regret  that  the 
Concerto  for  Piano  and  Orchestra  in  D,  of  which  Nottebohm 
has  givent  so  very  tempting  a  description,  and  which  that 
accurate  investigator  assigns  to  1814  and  1815,  was  not 
completed.  It  occupies  more  than  fifty  pages  in  the  sketch- 
books, and  thirty  leaves  {Blatter)  of  score  were  begun  in 
June,  1815.  The  piano  was  to  come  in  after  ten  bars  of 
full  orchestra. 

To  the  quarrels,  excitements,  and  other  unmusical  dis- 
tractions already  mentioned  as  besetting  this  period,  there  is, 

♦  I  am  indebted  to  the  kindness  of  Mr.  Cosmo  Monkhouse  for  these  facta, 
f  Dictionary  of  Music  and  Musicians,  i.,  1926. 
X  See  ZwdU  Beethoveniana,  pp.  223,  321,  &c 


318  NINTH    SYMPHONY. 

however,  one  of  a  still  more  malignant  nature  to  be  added. 
There  was,  indeed,  a  fatal  sliadow  ahead  in  Beethoven's 
path.  On  November  15,  1815,  his  brother  Caspar  died, 
bequeathing  to  him  the  maintenance  of  his  son  Carl,  then 
a  lad  of  eight.  This  involved  a  lawsuit  with  the  widow,  who 
was  one  of  Beethoven's  betes  noires,  and  endless  worries  as  to 
the  education  of  the  boy,  for  the  details  of  which  we  have  no 
room,  but  which  penetrated  mto  the  deepest  recesses  of  his 
life  and  feeling,  and  must  have  given  him  the  keenest  and  most 
constant  annoyance  till  January  7,  1820,  when  the  litigation 
was  compromised,  and  indeed  up  to  the  very  *end  of 
liis  life.  To  an  irregular,  impulsive  being,  like  Beethoven, 
such  occupations  as  this  involved — the  writing  of  long 
detailed  letters,  the  keeping  of  appointments — must  have 
been  sadly  annoying.  One  quotation  from  his  diaries, 
expressing  his  dislike  to  business  matters,  has  been  already 
given.  The  following  entry  is  still  more  touching,  and  is 
a  good  specimen  of  the  way  in  which  his  inmost  being  was 
rent  and  racked  at  this  period  of  his  life.  It  dates  from  the 
early  part  of  1818 : — *  God,  0  God,  my  Guardian,  my 
Kock,  my  All,  Thou  seest  my  heart,  and  knowest  how  it 
distresses  me  to  do  harm  to  others  through  doing  right  to  my 
darling  Karl.  Hear  Thou  unutterable  I  hear  Thy  unhappy, 
most  unhappy  of  mortals.'  'I  have  no  friend,'  he  says  to 
Fraulein  del  Rio  at  this  time,  '  and  am  alone  in  the  world.' 
Perhaps,  however,  we  have  here  the  secret  of  the  greatness 
of  the  Choral  Symphony.  For  what  says  Schubertf  under 
similar  distress  ?  He  may  almost  be  said  to  have  formulated 
this  despondent  mood  in  the  following  entry  :  *  Grief  sharpeni 
the  understanding  and  strengthens  the  soul :  Joy,  on  the  other 
hand,  seldom  troubles  itself  about  the  one  and  makes  the  other 


*  But  for  this  wretched  lad's  neglect  of  his  uncle's  death-bed,  Beethoven's 
days  might  have  been  prolonged. 

t  See  Schubert's  diaries  in  The  Dictionary  of  Music  and  Musicians^  iii., 
340. 


ANNOYANCES   AND   DESPONDEltul'.  319 

eJBTeinmate  or  frivolous.'  *  My  musical  works  are  the  offspring 
of  my  genius  and  my  misery;  and  what  the  public  most 
relish  is  that  which  has  given  me  the  greatest  distress.' 

Who  that  reads  such  passionate  appeals  as  those  just 
quoted — and  there  are  many  such  at  this  date  ;  or  hears  the 
first  movement  of  this  Symphony,  especially  its  concluding 
forty  bars,  can  doubt  that  Beethoven  was  then  profoundly 
miserable ;  that  his  heart,  morbid  no  doubt,  was  torn  almost 
beyond  endurance  by  the  unseemly,  squalid  disorder  which 
attended  his  home-hfe,  and  the  unavailing  anxieties  and 
privations  which  he  endui-ed  for  his  nephew  ?  ^Yhatever  its 
result  upon  his  music,  there  could  hardly  be  a  dispensation 
of  Providence  so  destructive  of  his  happiness  as  that 
which  brought  these  too  incompatible  natures  together — on 
the  one  hand,  a  wretched,  thoughtless,  selfish,  commonplace 
ne'er-do-weel,  and,  on  the  other,  one  of  the  simplest,  noblest, 
most  sensitive  hearts  in  the  world ! 

Against  a  settled  habit  of  despondency,  such  as  henceforth 
was  Beethoven's  prevailing  mood  of  mind,  external  events, 
however  pleasant  in  themselves,  can  have  had  little  influence. 
Such  were  the  bestowal  of  the  freedom  of  the  city  of  Vienna 
by  the  Municipal  Council,  at  Christmas,  1815 ;  the  purchase 
by  the  Philhannonic  Society  of  London  of  the  Overtures  to 
the  *  Ruins  of  Athens '  and  *  King  Stephen  '  for  seventy-five 
guineas  (July  11,  1815) ;  the  gift  of  a  pianoforte  from  the 
reigning  Broadwood  early  in  1818 ;  and  other  similar  occur- 
rences. To  balance  these  pleasurable  thiugs  were  the  death 
of  his  old  friend  and  benefactor.  Prince  Lobkowitz,  on 
December  16,  1816,  and  the  consequent  reduction  of  his 
income  by  a  third.  It  is  also  astonishing  to  see  from  his  letters 
and  entries  the  amount  of  unnecessary  annoyance  which  he 
endured  during  these  years  from  his  servants,  and  from  other 
household  matters,  notwithstanding  the  assistance  he  received 
from  the  good  Frau  Streicher,  who  was  never  weary  of  her 
endeavours  to  obtain  order  lq  that  most  disorderly  of  houses. 


320  NINTH    SYMPHONY. 

True,  his  correspondence  was  not  uniformly  occupied  with 
such  degrading  details.  In  1817  several  letters  passed 
through  Ries  (then  in  London)  between  Beethoven  and  the 
Philharmonic  Society,  as  to  his  visiting  this  country  in  1818. 
The  project  came  to  nothing,  but  must  have  gratified  him, 
even  though  the  letters  and  the  pecimiary  proposals,  which 
were  gone  into  with  much  minuteness,  doubtless  caused  him 
considerable  trouble  and  filled  him  with  worry. 

Through  all  this  runs  a  stream  of  the  very  finest  music. 
In  April,*  1816,  occurs  the  first  sketch  of  the  exquisite 
Liederkreis,  Beethoven's  greatest  composition  for  the  solo 
voice  (Op.  98).  The  same  sketch-book  f  contains  the 
passage  which  ultimately  became  the  theme  of  the  Scherzo 
of  the  Ninth  Symphony,  though  originally  only  noted  as  the 
subject  of  a  fugue.  This  memorable  entry  stands  as  shown 
on  page  328.  In  the  winter  of  1817  the  great  Sonata,  which 
became  Op.  106,  seems  to  have  been  begun,  though  it  was 
not  finished  till  the  following  summer.  But  all  these  works, 
great  as  they  were,  were  to  be  soon  overwhelmed  by  much 
larger  and  more  elaborate  compositions.  These  were  the 
Ninth  Symphony,  the  first  movement  of  which  was  seriously 
begun  J  in  1817,  and  the  Mass  in  D,  which  was  attacked  a 
year  later,  after  the  announcement  of  the  Archduke  Rudolph's 
appointment  to  the  see  of  Olmiitz,  in  the  summer  of  1818 ; 
which  entirely  took  up  the  year  1819,  and  occupied  the 
greater  part  of  his  time  and  energy  till  the  beginning  of 
1823.  Equally  great  in  their  own  line  with  both  Mass  and 
Symphony,  and  eminently  characteristic  of  Beethoven's  later 
style  and  genius,  are  the  last  three  of  his  Pianoforte  Sonatas, 
which  belong  to  this  period — namely,  Op.  109,  finished  in 
1820,  concurrently  with  the  'Credo'  of  the  Mass;  Op.  110, 
dated  Christmas  Day,  1821 ;  and  Op.  Ill,  dated  January  13th, 

*  Zweite  Beethoveniana,  p.  334. 
flhid.,1^  328. 
Xlbid.,  p.  15ft. 


bbbthovbn's  I/Evelopment  op  the  symphony.     321 

1822.*  He  was  now  therefore  free  to  devote  himself  entirely 
to  the  great  work  before  us. 

It  may  be  well  here  to  recapitulate  the  chief  developments 
which  Beethoven  had  already  made  in  the  Symphony,  since 
\ie  received  it  from  his  great  predecessors. 

He  had  increased  the  Introduction  from  the  twelve  bars 
which  it  occupied  in  Haydn's  works  and  in  his  own  No.  1,  to 
the  sixty- two  of  his  No.  7.  In  his  hands  the  Coda  had  assumed 
the  vast  proportions  which  it  takes  in  the  Eroica  and  No.  8  ; 
and  in  the  Eroica,  and  especially  the  Pastoral  Symphony, 
he  had  sanctioned  the  adoption  of  programme  in  music  and 
the  attempt  to  represent  external  objects.  He  was  now  to 
make  a  further  and  most  material  modification  in  the  same 
great  department  of  orchestral  music,  in  the  choral  Finale  ; 
and  here  again  the  difference  was  all  his  own.  No  example  of 
it  is  to  be  found  in  the  works  of  either  Haydn  or  Mozart,  but 
Beethoven  first  attempted  it  in  his  t Choral  Fantasia;  and 
hitherto  it  has  been  followed — at  least  with  success — only  by 
Mendelssohn,  whose  Lobgesang,  or  *  Hymn  of  Praise,'  is  a 
characteristic  example  of  the  same  class  of  composition  as  the 
Ninth  Symphony  of  Beethoven. t 

Schiller's  ode  To  Joy,  An  die  Freude  (1785) — from  which  the 

*  The  seventh  great  pianoforte  composition  of  this  period,  the  '  Thirty-three 
Variations  on  a  theme  of  Diabelli's  '  (Op.  120),  being  really  his  farewell  to  the 
piano,  belongs  to  the  year  1823. 

t  He  describes  the  Symphony  in  a  letter  to  Probst,  the  publisher,  of 
March  10,  1824,  as  *  in  the  style  of  my  Choral  Fantasia,  but  very  much  more 
extended.' — Nohl,  Brief e,  i.,  p.  255.  It  is  not  necessary  to  encumber  our 
pages  with  a  comparison  of  the  two  works.  SuflBcient  to  say  that  there  is  a 
tftrong  resemblance  in  the  general  plan,  while  the  subjects  of  the  two  Finales 
are  similar  in  the  fact  that  in  both  the  chief  subjects  consist  almost  entirely  of 
consecutive  notes.  It  is  surely  too  much,  however,  to  speak  of  them  as 
'  Identical,'  as  seems  to  be  implied  in  Kretzschmai's  excellent  Fuhrer  durch 
den  Concertsaal  (1887),  i.,  113. 

X  At  the  Philharmouic  Concert  of  March  25,  1822,  a  MS.  Concerto  of 
Steibelt's  for  piano  and  orchestra,  'with  characteristic  rondo  and  chorus,'  was 
performed.    Liszt  has  employed  a  chorus  in  the  Finale  of  his  Faust  Symphony. 


822  NINTH    SYMPHONY. 

words  for  the  Finale  of  the  Symphony  are  selected,  and  which  is 
as  characteristic  of  Beethoven  as  the  more  directly  devotional 
text  of  the  LohgemiKj  is  of  his  successor — was  always  a 
favourite  with  him.  It  is  almost  incredible  that  he  started  in 
his  musical  life  with  the  same  intention  which  he  only  carried 
out  near  its  close.  And  yet  we  discover  in  a  letter  from 
Fischenich  to  Schiller's  sister  Charlotte,  written  from  Bonn,* 
the  following  notice  of  that  intention,  when  Beethoven,  at 
the  age  of  twenty- two,  was  just  beginning  his  public  career.  *  I 
have  preserved,'  says  he,  *  a  f  setting  of  the  Feuerfarhe  for  you 
on  which  I  should  like  your  opinion.  It  is  by  a  young  man  of 
this  place,  whose  musical  talent  is  becoming  known,  and  whom 
the  Elector  has  just  sent  to  Haydn  at  Vienna.  He  intends  to 
compose  Schiller's  Freude  verse  by  verse.'     This  was  in  1793. J 

The  musical  theme  to  which  Beethoven  at  last  wedded  the 
words  thus  fondly  cherished  by  his  republican  nature  for  so 
long  was,  as  usual  with  him,  no  sudden  inspiration,  but  the 
fruit  of  long  consideration  and  many  a  trial.  Of  this  his 
sketch-books  contain  many  evidences.  The  first  time  we  §meet 
with  the  sacred  words  is  in  a  sketch-book  of  1798,  between 
memoranda  for  the  Piano  Rondo  in  G,  Op.  51,  No.  2,  and  an 
Intermezzo  for  the  Sonata  in  C  minor.  Op.  10,  No.  1  :  — 


Muss       ein      lie  -  ber   Va   -   ter        woh     -     -     -      nen. 

It  is  perhaps  not  safe  to  find  a  reference  to  the  Ode  in  the 
reiterated  use  of  the  word  '  Freude  '  in  the  poignant  postscript 
of  the  famous  letter  of  1802,  where  die  Freude  appears  twice, 
once  italicised  by  Beethoven  himseK  (see  Symphony  No.  2, 

•Thayer,  Leben,  i.,  2;^>7. 

t  Published  in  1805,  as  Op.  52,  No.  2. 

X  Weber,  writing  in  June,  1811,  to  Simrock,  the  publisher,  of  Bonn,  says  that 
he  is  composing  Schiller's  Ode  an  die  Freude  for  orchestra,  solos,  and  chorus, 
and  asks  if  he  will  publish  it-    (Told  to  the  writer  by  Herr  Joachim  in  1879.) 

§  Nottebohm,  Z'iVeite  Beethoventana,  p.  479. 


THEMES   FOR    SCHILLER  S    WORDS. 


323 


page  48) — *Lass  einmal  einen  reinen  Tag  der  Freude  niir 
erscheinen — so  lange  schon  ist  der  wahren  Freude  innigerer 
Widerliall  mir  fremd.' 

Then  again  some  words  out  of  the  same  Ode  are  to  be  found 
in  1811,  among  the  sketches  for  the  Seventh  and  Eighth 
Symphonies,  thus  cited  by  Mr.  Nottebohm* : — 


with  a  memorandum,  not  very  legible,  but  somewhat  as 
follows! : — *  Finale,  Freude  schoner  Gotter  Funken  Tochter 
Elisium.  The  Symphony  in  four  movements ;  but  the  2nd 
movement  in  2-4  time  like  the  1st.  The  4th  may  be  in  6-8 
time — major  ;  and  the  4th  movement  well  fugued.' 

Then  a  longer  f  sketch  of  the  same  date  in  the  sketches  for 
the  Overture  in  G  (Op.  115)  :— 


No.  3. 


i 


j-j^r'LU-iMj     _  ,Ff  f 


-*-# 


Text 


vielleicht  so  anfangen 


.Jill  J-J 


Freu  -  de, 


Freu  -  de, 


Freu 


■p-"r 


de 


^^^dMi^^ 


i-4=^=. 


^^ 


Bcho 


Got 


ter 


Fun 


*  See  Nottebolim,  Beethoveniana,  pp.  41,  42. 
t  Thayer,  Chronologisches  Veneichniss,  p.  149. 


324 


NINTH    SYMPHONY. 


Then,  still  later,  in  1822,  among  tlie  *sketches  for  the 
Overture  in  C  (Ox^  124),  an  Overture  on  the  name  of  Bach,  and 
the  Mass  in  D,  occur  other  attempts,  each  in  turn  scratched 
out,  with  the  word  ♦  mellieur '  added  (Beethoven's  French  for 
tneilleur).  Then  comes  the  following  : — •  German  Symphony, 
either  with  variations  (the  chorus  entering),  or  without  them  '— 


No.  4. 


Freu  -  de  echo-  ner  Got  -  ter  Fun  -  ken  Toch-ter  aus     E  -  li  -   si  -  um. 

with  another  memorandum,  '  End  of  the  Symphony  with 
Turkish  musicf  and  chorus  to  the  rhythm  of  three  bars  in  the 
Gloria.'     Then  a  variation  of  the  foregoing: — 


No.  5. 


Freu-  de  scho-ner  Got  -  ter  Fun-ken 

At  length  he  gets  into  a  new  melody,  which  then  occupies 
his  sketch-book,  sometimes  in  triple,  sometimes  in  common 
time,  until  at  length  it  issues  in  the  present  magnificent  tune, 
a  tune  surely  destined  to  last  as  long  as  music  itself. 

Beethoven  has  not  used  half  of  Schiller's  words,  nor  has 
he  employed  them  in  the  order  in  which  they  stand  in  the 
poem;  and  the  arrangement  and  selection  appear  to  have 
troubled  him  much.  The  note-books  already  cited  abound  with 
references  to  the  '  disjointed  fragments '  (abgerissene  Sdtze) 
which  he  was  trying  to  arrange  and  connect — so  as  not 
necessarily   to   employ  the  whole  of  Schiller's  long  Ode — 


*  Thayer,  Chroii.  Verztkhniss,  No.  238. 

f  '  Turkish  Music '  is  the  German  term  for  the  big  drum,  cymbals,  and 
triangle,  and  these  are  introduced  in  Nos.  3  ('Haste  like  suns')  and  7  (' Be 
embraced.')  The  'Gloria'  is  probably  the  Gloria  in  the  Mass  in  D,  then 
just  completed.  The  wTiter  has  not  been  able  to  trace  any  resemblance  in  th* 
two  pieces     The  '  ritmo  di  tre  battute '  occurs  in  the  Scherzo. 


CONNECTION  OF  VOCAL  AND  INSTRUMENTAL  PORTIONS.  325 

'Abgerissene  Sdtze  wie  *Fursten  sind  Bettler  u.  s.  w.  nicht  das 
Oanze.'  In  making  his  selection  Beethoven  has  omitted,  either 
by  chance  or  intention,  some  of  the  passages  which  strike 
an  Enghsh  mind  as  most  risqties  in  Schiller's  Ode  :  such  as 

Dieses  Glas  dem  guten  Geist 
Ueberm  Sternenzelt  dort  oben  1 

Here's  a  glass  to  the  good  Spirit 
Up  above  the  stars  so  high  I 

and  the  omissions  furnish  an  example  of  the  taste  by  which 
his  colossal  powers  were,  with  few  exceptions,  guided.  Another 
point  which  puzzled  him  greatly  was  how  to  connect  the 
vocal  movements  with  the  instrumental  ones.  His  biographer, 
Schindler,  gives  an  interesting  description  of  his  walking 
up  and  down  the  room  endeavouring  to  discover  how  to 
do  it,  and  at  length  crying  out,  '  I've  got  it,  I've  got  it.' 
Holding  out  his  sketch-book,  Schindler  perceived  the  words, 
'  Lasst  uns  das  Lied  des  uusterblichen  Schiller  siugen  ' — 
Let  us  sing  the  song  of  the  immortal  Schiller — as  a 
recitative  for  the  bass^^s,  with  the  words  of  the  Ode  itself 
following  immediately  for  soprano  solo.  And  though  this  was 
altered  almost  as  soon  as  written  down — the  words  of  the 
recitative  being  changed  into  *  0  friends,  not  these  tones ;  let 
us  sing  something  pleasanter,  and  fuller  of  joy  ! '  and  the 
words  of  the  Ode  itself  being  given  first  to  a  solo  voice — 
yet  the  method  of  the  connection  remained  the  same.  How 
strongly  is  all  this  hesitation  corroborated  by  Beethoven's  own 
words  to  jRochlitz  in  1822 — *  You  see,  for  some  time  past 
I  have  not  been  able  to  write  easily.     I  sit  and  think,  and 

*  These  strange  words  refer  to  a  line,  '  Bettler  werdeu  Flirsten-Brlider  ' 
('beggars  sliall  be  royal  brothers'),  which  formerly  stood  in  Schiller's  poem. 
Schiller's  original  title  of  the  Ode  is  said  to  have  been  '  An  die  Freiheit  '—to 
Freedom,  not  to  Joy  ;  which  throws  a  light  on  the  tumultuous  rovolutioiiary 
f  hrases  of  the  poetry. 

t  Fur  Freunde  der  Tonkunst,  iv.,  35S. 


826  NINTH   SYMPHONY. 

think,  and  get  it  all  settled ;  but  it  won't  come  on  the  papet, 
and  a  great  work  troublos  me  immensely  at  the  outset ;  once 
get  into  it,  and  it's  all  right.' 

Of  the  instrumental  movements,  the  first  trace  yet 
discovered  is  (as  has  been  already  said)  in  a  sketch-book  of 
1815,*  where,  after  the  materials  of  the  Cello  Sonata,  Op.  102. 
No.  2,  and  very  definite  memoranda  for  a  Symphony  in 
B  flat,  we  come  on  four  bars  of  what  was  destined  several 
years  later  to  be  the  germ  of  the  Scherzo  of  the  Ninth 
Symphony.     Here  it  is,  a  fugue  subject : — 

No.  6. 

Fuge. 


— and  a  fugue  subject  it  remains  until  it  unconsciously 
assumes  its  present  more  rhythmical  shape.  Still,  we  have 
here  the  first  memorandum  of  the  theme  of  this  great  move- 
ment ;  and,  if  Czerny  is  right  in  his  anecdote,  it  suddenly 
entered  his  mind  as  he  came  out  of  the  darkness  into  a 
brilliant  light. 

The  actual  beginning  of  the  composition  of  the  work  occurs 
two  years  later,  in  1817,  while  he  was  engaged  on  the  Piano- 
forte Sonata,  Op.  106. t  Here  the  memoranda,  entitled  *  Zur 
Binfonie  in  D,'  are  chiefly  for  the  first  movement  and  Scherzo — 
then  given  as  third  movement  (though  without  any  sketch  of 
♦ihe  second).  As  to  the  Finale,  there  is  no  appearance  of 
Schiller's  Ode  or  any  unusual  intention. 

In  1818  we  find  the  following  memorandum,  disclosing  an 
ntention  to  write  two  Symphonies  : — 

'  Adagio  Cantique  : — 

*  Religious  song  in  a  Symphony  in  the  old  modes  (Herr 
Gott  dich  loben  wir — Alleluja),  either  independently  or  as 


•  Zweite  Beethoveniana,  p.  157. 
t  Ibid.,  p.  159. 


ATTEMPT  TO  USE  TRIO  OP  SECOND  SYMPHONY. 


327 


introductory  to  a  fugue.  Possibly  the  whole  second  Symphony 
to  be  thus  characterised :  the  voices  entering  either  in  the 
Finale  or  as  early  as  the  Adagio.  The  orchestral  violins,  etc., 
to  be  increased  tenfold  for  the  last  movements,  the  voices  to 
enter  one  by  one.  Or  the  Adagio  to  be  in  some  way  repeated 
in  the  last  movements.  In  the  Adagio  the  text  to  be  a  Greek 
mythos  (or)  Cantique  Ecclesiastique.  In  the  Allegro  a 
Bacchus  festival.'  This  dates  from  the  progress  of  Op.  106, 
and  shows  how  highly  excited  Beethoven's  imagination  must 
then  have  been  to  deal  with  two  such  vast  compositions 
at  once.  Amongst  the  sketches  of  this  date,  evidently  for  the 
Scherzo,  is  found  one  which  is  a  curious  adaptation  of  the  Trio 
of  the  early  Symphony  in  D  major  (1802  !).  It  is  transposed 
into  D  flat  and  treated  in  a  different  manner  from  the  earUer 
piece.* 


No.  7.  Sinfonia  3tes  Stuck. 


13^ 


^ 


^ 


is^ 


^£ 


:p=^ 


t^ 


P 


^ 


1 


*SS 


^=$if- 


^^^F^ 


By  the  winter  of  1822  the  Mass  in  D  was  finished,  the 
wonderful  chain  of  Sonatas,  Op. 109, 110,  111,  and  the  Overture 
for  the  opening  of  the  Theatre  (Op.  124),  were  all  out  of  hand, 
and  the  somewhat  crude  vision  of  the  religious  Symphony — not 
more  crude  than  Beethoven's  first  conceptions  usually  are,  with 
its  strange  mixture  of  Greek  myth,  German  chorale,  and  Can- 
tique ecclesiastique — 'Jehovah,  Jove,  and  Lord' — seems  to 
have  retired  into  the  background.!    He  now  speaks  of  the  first 


*  Nottebolim,  Ziceite  Bcethoveniana ,  p.  IGo. 

f  But  he  speaks  to  Roclilitz,  in  1822^  of  having  '  two  grand  symphonies 
round  his  neck,  different  from  each  other  and  different  from  any  of  my  others.' 
{^Fv/r  Frcimde  der  Tonkunst,  iv.,  357,  358.)    But  it  is  not  heard  of  again. 


828 


NINTH    SYMPHONY. 


of  the  pair  (no  doubt  the  *  Ninth  ')  as  *  Sinfonie  Allemande  * — 
German  Symphony.  *  Variations '  are  mentioned,  and,  in 
addition  to  recognisable  passages  of  the  first  movement,  the 
following  most  pregnant  passage  appears  : — 


No.  8. 


t 


Finale 


|3=f?=f; 


rir  r  r 


m   '   r 


-m—m- 


Freu-(le  sclio-ner  Got-ter-Funken  Toch-ter  aus  E  -  11    -  si-um. 


A  loose  memorandum  of  this  date  gives  a  thematic  *catalogTie 
of  the  whole  except  the  Adagio^  as  far  as  the  order  was  then 
determined  on : — 


No.  9. 

comincia 


^^ 


3  Adagio 


m 


presto 


W 


^m 


ites. 


5tes. 


accompanied  by  this  note,  '  also  instead  of  a  new  Symphony 
anew  Overture  on  Bach  much  fugued,  with  three '  Trombones, 
the  words  *  New  Symphony  '  obviously  pointing  to  another 
one    in    addition   to   that   on   which   he   is   now   so   deeply 


engaged. 


*  Two  points  in  this  thematic  catalogue  require  notice  : — (1)  That  the 
Sclierzo  begins  in  the  Bass  ;  and  (2)  that  the  notes  quoted  for  the  fourth 
movement,  Presto,  do  not  agree  with  anything  which  stands  in  the  work. 
The  Philharmonic  MS.  of  the  Symphony  (corrected  by  Beethoven)  entitles  the 
.Bovements  Erster  Sa.tz,  &c. 


TRIO   AND   ADAGIO. 


829 


Shortly  afterwards  appears  the  first  germ  of  the  present 
Trio  of  the  Scherzo : — 


No.  10.  Trio 


-^ 


7=^ — Tf^- 


^•r,  P  fM 


^ 


^^^^^^. 


im 


and  a  better  instance  could  hardly  be  found  of  the  elementary 
shape  in  which  Beethoven's  finest  themes  often  came  into  his 
mind  for  the  first  time. 

The  slow  movement  was  the  last  to  come  into  existence. 
Indeed  not  even  the  theme  had  been  conceived  when  the 
thematic  catalogue  above  quoted  (No.  9)  was  written  down. 

First  we  find  the  second  section  of  the  movement,  Andante 
moderato,  in  the  key  of  A,  and  designated  as  Alia  menuetto. 
The  opening  theme  of  the  Adagio  itself  first  appears  in  this 
rudimentary  form : — 


No.U. 


#^^ti:^^ff%^ 


d?:»: 


^^ 


'fm (fee. 


Then  later,  somewhat  nearer  to  its  ultimate  shape  (see  bars 
13,  14)  :— 


No.  12. 


— r— p-i^  -1^-^-p:i-r-'^.*-p-T-n-— ^ff^-r— --t-^s.r->-- 

r-LTi^         1      0 '"^-^-^  1       &    ^^ ^- ^--^^^- 

Grove.-^Beetlioven's  Nine  Symphonies.— Novello's  Edition.       Y 


830 


NINTH    SYMPHONY. 


though  still  without  the  echoes  of  each  concluding  phrase  of 
the  strings  by  the  wind,  which  form  so  touching  a  feature  in 
the  completed  work,  and  no  hint  of  the  throe  crescendo 
quavers  which  produce  such  an  overpowering  effect  in  bars 
16  and  21  of  the  present  Adagio  (see  No.  45). 

Notwithstanding  his  long  preoccupation  with  Schiller's  Ode, 
and  even  after  making  considerable  progress  with  the  present 
last  movements,  Beethoven  appears*  to  have  entertained  the 
idea  of  an  instrumental  Finale  to  the  Symphony  even  as  late 
as  June  or  July,  1823.  This  is  evident  from  the  following, 
which  is  found  among  the  ^sketches  of  that  date,  and  was 
afterwards  used  in  another  key  for  the  A  minor  Quartet, 
Op.  132:— 


No.  13. 


Finale  instromentale. 

■ji^-r^tE 

^ 

^=^^ 

^-  «^ 

—ft-f- 

^ 

_j_f__JJ 

1-"-* 

=- 

^^ 

^»= 

—  gj-j: 

*~^ T- 

^^'- 

§T 

.M 

l^T-iif^ 


^S^ 


-^ 


Indeed  so  far  was  this  carried  that,  according  to  the  evidence 
of  Czerny  (as  vouched j:  for  by  Josef  Sonnleithner),  some  time 


*  Given  on  the  authority  of  Sonnleithner  and  Czerny  by  lis o\s\  {Beethoven* a 
Leben,  1877,  iii.,  925).  The  statement  must,  however,  be  taken  with  caution. 
Even  his  most  intimate  companions  were  quite  unable  to  rise  to  the  height  of 
Beethoven's  genius,  but  were  puzzled  by  his  progress.  He  was  too  far  ahead 
of  them. 

f  Zweite  Beethoveniana,  p.  180. 

X  See  the  Allg.  musik.  Zeitung,  April  6,  18^ 


DOUBTS   ABOUT   VOCAL   FINALE.  831 

after  the  first  performance  of  the  Symphony,  Beethoven 
expressed  to  a  ch'cle  of  his  intimate  friends  his  conviction 
that  the  vocal  Finale  was  a  mistake,  and  that  it  was  his 
intention  to  substitute  a  purely  orchestral  piece  for  it,  for 
which  he  already  had  a  theme — namely,  the  subject  last 
quoted. 

The  original  MS.  of  the  first  three  movements  of  the  Choral 
Symphony,  embodying  the  long  and  painful  elaboration  of 
the  materials  alluded  to,  is  in  the  Royal  Library  at  Berlin. 
Though  more  orderly  than  the  originals  of  many  of  Beethoven's 
works — indeed,  Schindler  cites  it  as  a  model  of  neatness  and 
distinctness — it  is  a  rough  manuscript,  with  many  a  blot  and 
many  a  smear ;  not  smooth  and  clean  like  those  of  Mozart, 
Schubert,  or  Mendelssohn.  But  it  does  not  appear  to  contain 
any  afterthought  of  importance,  such  as  those  in  the  MS.  of 
Schubert's  Grand  Symphony  in  G.  Neither  the  well-known 
oboe  passage  in  the  Trio  nor  the  chromatic  pedal-bass  at  the 
end  of  the  first  movement — so  wonderfully  personal  and 
characteristic  of  the  composer — nor  any  other  of  the  many 
individual  points  in  the  work,  has  been  interpolated.  Each 
appears  in  its  place  from  the  beginning,  after  the  long 
continued  sifting  of  his  ideas  due  to  the  sketch-books. 

Here  and  there  a  date  or  a  note  of  place  or  circumstance 
is  scrawled  on  the  margin,  every  one  of  which  has  its  interest; 
and  it  is  greatly  to  be  wished  that  these  could  be  inserted  in 
an  edition  of  the  score,  for  the  advantage  of  those  who  love 
every  trace  of  the  great  musician  and  desire  to  connect  his 
person  with  his  works  down  to  the  minutest  detail.  A  better 
method  still  would  be  to  photograph  the  manuscript  in  fac- 
siynile,  as  has  been  so  well  done  with  respect  to  Beethoven's 
Op.  26,  and  in  the  last  volume  of  the  Bachgesellschaft 
publications.  We  should  then  practically  possess  Beethoven's 
own  manuscript,  and  it  cannot  be  doubted  that  the  study  of  it 
would  reveal  many  a  fact  at  present  undreamt  of.     One  such 


332  NINTH   SYMPHONY. 

fact  appears  hitherto  to  have  escaped  notice — namely,  that 
in  the  original  MS.  just  named  the  Trio  is  not  written  in  4-4, 
as  it  stands  in  the  printed  scores,  but  is  in  2-4  time,  and  ia 
put  into  4-4  by  cancelling  every  alternate  bar-line.  Though 
not  very  material,  this  is  interesting  and  worthy  of  record. 
In  the  *MS.  by  the  copyist,  carefully  corrected  by  Beethoven 
himself,  and  containing  the  fdedication  to  King  Frederick 
William  III.,  the  time  is  altered,  and  appears  as  printed. 

There  exists,  however,  another  dedication  of  the  Symphony, 
to  a  body  who  had  more  right  to  that  honour  than  was 
possessed  by  King  or  Kaiser — namely,  the  Philharmonic 
Society  of  London.  These  gentlemen,  prompted  probably  by 
Beethoven's  pupil  and  friend,  Eies,  who  was  then  settled  in 
England,  and  to  whom  Beethoven  had  written  on  the  6th 
April,  1822,  asking  '  what  the  Philharmonic  Society  were 
likely  to  offer  him  for  a  Symphony  ' — passed  a  resolution  on 
the  10th  of  the  following  November  (1822),  offering  him  £50 
for  a  MS.  Symphony  to  be  delivered  in  March,  1823,  and  to 
be  their  exclusive  property  for  eighteen  months,  at  the  end  of 
which  time  it  was  to  revert  to  the  composer.  This  offer  was 
communicated  to  Beethoven  by  Ries,  and  accepted  by  him 
in  his  letter  of  the  20th  December.  The  money  was  at  once 
despatched.^  The  manuscript  copy  in  the  possession  of  the 
Philharmonic  Society  bears  the  following  inscription  in  the 
handwriting  of  the  great  composer: — 

*  In  the  Royal  Library,  Berlin, 

t  See  Beethoven's  own  letter  to  Wegeler,  October  7, 1826  (Nohl,  Brief e,  i.,  pp. 
327-8).  It  went  through  '  a  certain  Dr.  Spieker.'  In  his  letter  to  Ries  {Notizen, 
p.  155)  he  tells  Ries  he  has  dedicated  it  to  him  !  Similarly  in  his  letter  to  Ries, 
July  16,  1823,  he  tells  him  he  has  dedicated  the  thirty-three  Variations 
(Op.  120)  to  Ries's  wife,  whereas  they  are  really  dedicated  to  Frau  Antonie 
Brentano  I 

X  Hogarth's  '  History  of  the  Philharmonic  Society,'  page  32.  The  amount 
was  generous  for  those  days,  but  contrasts  sadly  with  the  much  larger  pricea 
paid  to  composers  of  the  last  few  years. 


PERFORMANCE  BY   PHILHARMONIC    SOCIETY.  833 

*  Grosse  Sinfonie  gesclirieben 

fiir  die  Pliilharmonische  GesellscLaffc 

in  London 

von  Ludwig  van  Beethoven 

erster  Satz.' 

How  it  came  to  pass  that  after  the  engagement,  and  the 
payment  of  the  money  by  the  Philharmonic  Society,  Beethoven 
should  have  allowed  the  Symphony  to  be  first  performed  in 
Vienna,  and  have  dedicated  it  to  the  King  of  Prussia,  is  a 
mystery  which  must  be  left  to  Mr.  Thayer  to  unravel  in  the 
forthcoming  volumes  of  his  Biography.*  Certain  it  is  that 
it  was  not  performed  in  London  till  the  21st  March,  1825, 
when  it  formed  (with  Italian  words)  the  second  portion  of  the 
programme  of  the  Philharmonic  Concert  for  that  evening. 
Sir  George  Smart  was  the  conductor,  and  his  experience  of 
the  difficulties  of  the  performance  not  improbably  made  him 
take  the  trouble  to  go  to  Vienna,  in  the  following  September, 
on  purpose  to  get  the  right  tempos  from  Beethoven  himself.  In 
particular  he  seems  to  have  asked  the  composer  after  dinner, 
on  September  6,  to  play  him  the  recitative  passages  which 
connect  the  last  movements  with  their  predecessors.f  On 
this  occasion  Sir  George  received  a  Canon  from  the  great 
composer,  the  autograph  of  which,  dated  '  September  16, 
1825,  Baden  near  Vienna,'  is  still  preserved  in  the  Smart 
family. 

The  actual  first  performance  of  the  Symphony  was  on  May 
7,  1824,  at  the  Karnthnerthor  Theatre,  Vienna,  at  a  concert 
given  by  Beethoven,  in  compliance  with  a  request  addressed 
to  him  by  all  the  principal  musicians,  both  professional  and 
amateur,  of  that  city.  Notwithstanding  this  enthusiasm, 
however,  only  two  rehearsals  were  possible  !      There  would 


*  'Ludwig  van  Beethoven's  Leben.'    Von  Alexander  Wheelock  Tliayer, 
Vols.  L,  TI.,  III.,  1866-79. 
f  Nohl ;  on  Schuppanzigh's  authority  {Beethoven's  Leben,  iii.,  643-4). 


834  NINTH   SYMPHONY. 

have  been  a  *tlnrd,  but  that  some  ballet  music  Lad  to  be 
practised  by  the  band  I  What  such  rehearsals — even  those  of 
the  best  orchestras — were  twenty  years  only  before  the  date 
in  question,  may  be  judged  from  the  expressions  contained  in 
Beethoven's  own  f  complaints  as  to  the  rehearsals  for  *  Fidelio' 
in  1805 — 'Of  the  wind  I  say  nothing;  but  all  pp^  cres,,  all 
decres.,  and  all  /,  jf  may  as  well  be  struck  out  of  my  music, 
since  not  one  of  them  is  attended  to.  I  lose  all  desire  to 
write  anything  more  if  my  music  is  to  be  so  played.'— In  a 
letter  to  Schindler,  quoted  by  Lenz,  he  calls  the  day 
*  Fracktag,'  because  he  had  the  bore  of  putting  on  a  smarter 
coat  than  usual.  On  this  occasion  it  was  a  green  coat, 
and  he  probably  also  wore  a  three-cornered  cocked  hat. 
The  preparations  had  somewhat  upset  him,  and  his  dress  had 
to  be  discussed  with  Schindler  in  one  of  the  conversation 
books.J  His  deafness  had  by  this  time  become  total,  but  that 
did  not  keep  him  out  of  the  orchestra.  He  stood  by  the  side 
of  Umlauf,  the  conductor,  to  indicate  the  times  of  the  various 
movements.  The  house  was  tolerably  full,  though  not  crowded, 
and  his  reception  was  all  that  his  warmest  friends  could  desire. 
To  use  Schindler' s  expression,  it  was  '  more  than  Imperial.' 
Three  successive  bursts  of  applause  were  the  rule  for  the 
Imperial  Family,  and  he  had  five  I  After  the  fifth  the  Com- 
missary of  Police  interfered  and  called  for  silence  I  Beethoven 
aclmowledged  the  applause  by  a  bow.§  The  Scherzo  was  so 
completely  interrupted — at  the  Ritmo  di  tre  hattute,  where  the 
drums  give  the  motif— that  it  had  to  be  begun  again.  ||  A 
great  deal  of  emotion  was  naturally  enough  visible  in  the 
orchestra  ;  and  we  hear  of  such  eminent  players  as  Mayseder 
and  Bohm  even  weeping.     At  the  close  of  the  performance  an 

♦  Schindler  (Biography,  ii.,  72,  note). 

+  In  a  letter  to  Mayer  (Nohl,  Brief e,  i.,  p.  50). 

X  See  Nohl,  Beethoven's  Leben,  iii.,  491  and  503. 

§  See  Nohl,  7&i(f., iii.,  493. 

II  lind. 


TOUCHING   INSTANCE   OF  BEETHOVEN*S   DEAFNESS.     335 

incident  occurred  which  must  have  brought  the  tears  to  many 
an  eye  in  the  room.  The  master,  though  placed  in  the  midst 
of  this  confluence  of  music,  heard  nothing  of  it  at  all  and 
was  not  even  sensible  of  the  applause  of  the  audience  at  the 
end  of  his  great  work,  but  continued  standing  with  his  back  to 
the  audience,  and  beating  the  timet  till  Fraulein  Ungher,  who 
had  sung  the  contralto  part,  turned  him,  or  induced  him  to 
turn  round  and  face  the  people,  who  were  still  clapping  their 
hands,  and  giving  way  to  the  greatest  demonstrations  of 
pleasure.  His  turning  round,  and  the  sudden  conviction 
thereby  forced  on  everybody  that  he  had  not  done  so  before 
because  he  could  not  hear  what  was  going  on,  acted  like  an  electric 
shock  on  all  present,  and  a  volcanic  explosion  of  sympathy 
and  admiration  followed,  which  was  repeated  again  and  again, 
and  seemed  as  if  it  would  never  end.* 

Our  previous  quotations  show  that  there  is  no  lack  of  the 
progressive  sketches  for  the  music  of  this  mighty  work ;  but  of 
the  dates  and  circumstances  attending  its  later  stages,  the 
connected  composition  of  its  first  three  movements,  we  have 
at  present  only  a  meagre  account.  The  earliest  apparent 
mention  of  the  work  in  Beethoven's  correspondence  is  in  the 
letter  to  Kies  mentioned  above,  and  in  a  second  letter  to  the 
same,  dated  December  20,  1822,  in  which  he  offers  to  write 
a  Symphony  for  the  Philharmonic  Society — '  the  first  artists 
in  Europe.'  Six  months  later,  in  a  letter  to  the  Archduke 
Kodolph,  dated  July  1,  1823,  we  catch  another  indication 
that  the  work  is  occupying  his  thoughts  : — *  I  thank  Him  who 
is  above  tlie  stars,  that  I  am  beginning  to  use  my  eyes  again,' 
the  words  '  den  iiber  den  Sternen '  evidently  alluding  to  the 
line  in  Schiller's  poem,  *  iiber  Sternen  muss  er  wohnen.'  In 
fact,  at  the  moment  of  writing  this  letter  he  was  in  the  very 


*  This  anecdote,  which  is  given  in  several  forms  in  the  books,  was  told  to 
the  writer  exactly  as  above  by  Madame  Sabatier-Ungher  (the  lady  referred  to) 
in  the  end  gallery  of  the  Crystal  Palace  Concert  Room  during  her  visit  to 
London  in  1869. 


836  NINTH   SYMPHONY. 

heat  of  composition.     ♦  By  the  end  of  June,'  says  Schindler, 

•  the  thirty-three  Variations  for  Diabelli  were  finished  ;  then  he 
embarked  full  sail  on  the  Symphony,  and  at  once  all  the  good 
humour  which  had  recently  made  him  so  pleasant  and 
accessible  disappeared,  all  visits  were  forbidden  except  to  the 
most  intimate  friends,  and  these  much  restricted.'  At  length, 
in  a  letter  dated  from  his  favourite  Baden,  the  5th  September, 
1823,  to  Eies,  we  find  these  words  :  '  The  score  of  the 
Symphony  has  been  finished  to-day  by  the  copyist.'  But 
this  must  have  been  some  mere  preliminary  draught ;  or,  at 
any  rate,  can  refer  only  to  the  earliest  movements ;  since  three 
weeks  after  this,  on  the  28th  September,  1823,  he  is  visited 
at    Baden    by    Mr.    Schulz,*  and    questions   him    on    the 

*  highest  possible  note  of  the  Trombone,  for  a  particular 
composition  he  was  then  about ' — surely  for  this  very  work. 
It  also  seems  plain,  both  from  Schindler's  statements  and 
from  the  fact  that  Beethoven  does  not  offer  it  for  sale  till 
March  10,  1824  (letter  to  Probst),  that  the  Sj^mphony  was 
not  absolutely  complete  till  that  time.  Schindler  states  that 
Beethoven  returned  to  Vienna  from  Baden  for  the  winter  at 
the  end  of  October,  1823.  Contrary  to  his  usual  practice,  he 
made  no  secret  of  the  work  on  which  he  was  engaged,  but  let  it 
be  known  that  his  new  Symphony  was  ready — ready,  that  must 
mean,  in  his  head  and  in  his  sketch-books,  and  complete  except 
as  to  writing  out  the  detailed  score — down  to  the  concluding 
vocal  portion,  with  regard  to  which  he  was  unable  yet  to 
satisfy  himself  as  to  the  stanzas  to  be  selected  from  Schiller's 
Ode.  To  the  completion  of  the  first  movement  he  applied 
himself  directly  after  his  return,  with  great  ardour ;  and 
the  manuscript  is  (as  already  mentioned)  remarkable  among 
his  autographs  for  its  comparative  legibility  and  clean- 
ness, and  for  the  small  number  of  corrections  which  it  dis- 
plays. 

*  See  Ilarmonicon,  January,  1824,  p.  10  ;  the  name  was  given  me  by  th« 
late  Mr.  W.  Ayrton,  son  of  Dr.  Ayrton. 


Beethoven's  metronome-marks. 


337 


The  metronome -marks  in  Beethoven's  works  are  not  alwaya 
of  his  own  putting ;  but  in  the  Ninth  Symphony  there  can 
be  no  mistake,  as  they  are  stated  at  length  for  the  benefit  of 
the  Philharmonic  Society  in  a  letter  to  Moscheles,  which  he 
dictated  on  March  18th,  1827,  only  seven  days  before  his 
death,  which  letter  was  exhibited  in  the  Loan  collection  of  the 
Inventions  Exhibition  of  1885  in  the  Albert  Hall.  I  give 
them  verbatim,  because  they  are  not  correctly  given  either 
in  Moscheles's  reprint  of  the  letter  (in  his  translation  of 
Schindler)  or  even  in  the  last  '  critical '  edition  of  Beethoven's 
works : — 


Allegro   ma   non   troppo, 
un  poco  maestoso    -    - 


88  # 


Molto  vivace 116  o** 

•Presto 116  J 

Adagio  molto  e  Cantabile-     60  J 
Andante  moderato  -     -     -     63  ^ 
Finale,  presto    -     -    -     -    96  c*. 
Allegro  ma  non  troppo     -     88  # 


Allegro  assai  -  -  • 
Alia  marcia  -  -  • 
Andante  maestoso  - 
Adagio  divoto  -  - 
Allegro  energico 
Allegro  ma  non  tanto 
Prestissimo  -  -  - 
Maestoso       •    -    - 


80  d 

84  J. 
72  J 
60  d 
84  J. 
120  «d 
132  J 
60  J 


The  first  edition  of  this  great  work  was  published  by  Messrs. 
Schott,  of  Mainz,  at  the  end  of  1825  or  the  beginning  of 
1826,  with  the  Mass  in  D  and  the  Overture  m  C  (Op.  124), 
in  score  (folio)  and  parts.  The  publishers'  number  for  the 
score  is  2,322,  and  for  the  parts  2,321.  The  invitation  to 
subscribe  to  these  was  issued  earlier,  and  Czerny's  copy, 
which  has  been  preserved,  is  dated  *  Wien,  im  August,  1825.* 


•  In  all  the  modem  editions,  including  those  of  Schott,  this  is  given  '116  =  ^'. 
But  though  in  Schott's  original  score  the  minim  in  the  metronome-mark  above 
the  staves  has  lost  its  tail,  so  as  at  first  sight  to  look  something  {only  something) 
like  a  semibreve,  yet  in  that  below  the  staves  it  remains  an  unmistakable 
minim,  as  Beethoven  meant  it  to  be.  See  the  Proceedings  of  the  Mtusical 
/i.tsociation,  for  February  12,  1895. 


888 


NINTH    SniPHONY. 


The  metronome  marks  were  added  to  the  edition  later. 
In  1867  Messrs.  Schott  pubHshed  a  second  edition  in  8vo, 
numbered  as  before  2,322  ;  and  the  engraved  plates  of  the  first 
edition  were  then  melted  down.*  In  1863  or  '64  the  work 
appeared  in  the  ♦  critical  and  tcorrect  edition  '  of  Messrs. 
Breitkopf  and  Hartel.  Neither  of  these  two  reprints  adequately 
represents  the  original  edition. 

I.  The  Symphony  starts  in  a  different  manner  from  any 
other  of  the  nine,  with  a  prologue  which  is  not  an  introduction 
properly  speaking,  and  yet  introduces  the  principal  subject  of 
the  movement.  The  tempo  is  the  same  from  the  beginning — 
Allegro  ma  non  troppo,  tin  poco  maestoso.  It  begins,  not  with 
the  chord  of  D,  but  with  that  of  A,  whether  major  or  minor 
is  uncertain,  as  the  '  third '  of  the  chord  is  left  out ;  neither 
C  sharp  nor  C  natural  are  present.  All  is  pianissimo;  the 
second  violins  and  cellos  sound  the  accompaniment,  with 
the  horns  in  unison,  to  give  it  more  consistency,  while  the 
first  violins,  tenors,  and  basses  are  heard  successively 
whispering  their  way  through  them  from  the  top  of  the  treble 
stave  to  the  bottom  of  the  bass — still,  however,  avoiding  the 
third  of  the  chord : — 


No.  14. 


*  I  am  indebted  for  this  information  to  Dr.  Strecher,  of  the  house  of  Schott 
at  Mainz. 
f  Issued  between  January,  1862,  and  November,  1865. 


THE   FIRST   MOVEMENT. 


839 


This  is  repeated,  after  a  bar's  interval,  with  the  diiference 
that  the  first  violins  begin  on  the  upper  A  instead  of  on  the 
E,  and  that  a  clarinet  is  added  to  the  accompaniment;  and 
then  the  phrase  is  given  a  third  time,  but  with  a  very 
Beethovenish  difference :  the  intervals  remain  the  same,  but 
the  phrase  is  hurried — twice,  the  second  time  more  hmried 
than  the  first : — 


No.  15. 


i 


cr«s.|5 


*» 


^3^ 


^:t:^ 


^bfT  g^ 


^        :s     :r? 


-^-^- 


And  so,  at  last,  the  wind  instruments  coming  in  one  by  one, 
and  the  whole  increasing  in  force  bar  by  bar,  we  are  launched 
into  that  tremendous  unison  of  the  whole  orchestra  in  the 
successive  intervals  of  the  chord  of  *D  minor,  which  really 
forms  the  principal  subject  or  animating  spirit  of  the  move- 
ment : — 


It  is  now  easy  to  see,  what  at  first   sight  may  not   be 
i-pparent,  that  the  first  broken  phrases  of  the  first  violins, 


*  It  is  startliug  to  find  this  chord  almost  identically  given  at  bar  23  of  the 
introductory  Adagio  of  Symphony  No.  2,  see  p.  25. 


840 


NINTH    SYMPHONY. 


tenors,  and  basses  are,  in  fact,  the  same  with  the  great 
subject  itself,  except  for  the  mysterious  vagueness  which 
they  acquire  from  the  suppression  of  the  third,  and  the  secret 
manner  of  their  entrance.  Each  consists  of  the  intervals  of 
a  common  chord  descending  through  a  couple  of  octaves. 
This  is  even  more  apparent  when  the  prologue  is  repeated  in 
the  key  and  on  the  chord  of  D,  in  the  strings,  with  long 
holding  notes  in  the  clarinets  and  horns,  as  it  is  shortly  after 
the  conclusion  of  the  last  extract : — 


No.  17 

Viol 


P 

v.  2. 


7io\.  1  g 


sotto  voce. 


Cor.  pp 


m 


^=^ 


^ 


&c. 


This  time,  however  (to  proceed  with  our  analysis),  the  great 
subject-passage  is  given  in  B  flat : — 


perhaps  as  a  remote  preparation  for  the  entrance  of  the 
*  second  subject '  in  that  key.  And  then  we  have  an  indication 
(ut  ex  ungue  leonem) — 


No.  19. 


of  what  Beethoven  intends  to  do  with  the  rhythm  and  inter- 
vals of  the  semiquavers  which  are  contained  in  that  great 


FIRST   MOVEMENT.      SUBSIDIARY   THEMES. 


841 


phrase  (see  a,  No.  16),  notes  for  which  a  very  remarkable  and 
important  role  is  destined.  But  though  for  a  moment  in  B  flat, 
he  has  no  present  intention  of  remaining  there,  and  he  imme- 
diately returns  into  D  minor,  and  gives  us  this  vigorous  new 
phrase,  ben  marcato  si.nd  forte  in  the  whole  orchestra ;  a  phrase 
which  he  has  put  down  at  an  early  period*  in  the  sketch- 
book, as  one  of  the  principal  stones  to  be  employed  in  his 
edifice : — 


No.  20. 


fif  ben  marcato 


This  he  immediately  repeats,  according  to  a  favourite  habit, 
in  a  more  florid  form,  showing,  at  the  same  time,  how  it  may 
be  made  to  imitate  at  a  bar's  interval — 


No.  21. 


and  at  length  arriving  at  the  '  second  subject '  in  the  key  of 
B  flat.  According  to  the  usual  rule,  the  '  second  subject ' 
should  be  in  F,  the  relative  major  of  D  minor,  but  Beethoven 
has  chosen  otherwise,  and  having  reached  the  key  of  B  flat, 
he  plainly  signifies  his  intention  of  not  going  back  for 
some  considerable  time  to  D  minor  by  the  unusual  course  of 
drawing  a  double  bar  through  the  score,  and  altering  the 
signature  to  two  flats. 


*  See  Zweite  Beethoveniana,  p.  159. 


842 


NINTH    SYMPHONY. 


The  second  subject  is  as  strong  a  contrast  to  the  first  as  can 
be  desired  or  devised : — 


No.  22. 

Fl.  Clar. 


Oboes 


Clar. 


p  dolce 


^^^^^ 


Clar. 


Strings 


rs^^l 


&e. 


»  1  1  1    1  i  II         11  *i  »      ••»  I 


It  begins  with  a  legato  phrase,  in  three  members  of  two  bars 
each,  divided  between  the  flutes,  oboes,  and  clarinets ;  and 
continues  with  bolder  phrases,  also  distributed  between  the 
various  members  of  the  wind  band  (somewhat  after  the 
fashion  of  the  second  subject  in  the  Allegro  of  the  Eroica), 
while  to  the  latter  portion  the  strings  maintain  an  interesting 
accompaniment  in  semiquaver  arpeggios.  An  indication  of 
the  restlessness  implied  in  the  hurrying  already  noticed  is 
visible  here  again  in  the  change  of  the  phrase  in  the  last  three 
bars  of  the  quotation,  and  the  more  rapid  repetition  of  the 
arpeggios  in  the  accompaniment. 

It  may  be  mentioned  eii  passant  that  this  subject  (No.  22)  ig 
maintained  by  Seroff,  a  Russian  critic,  to  be  '  identical '  with 
the  theme  of  the  Finale  (No.  62),  and  that  this  curious 
identification  is  adopted  by  Lenz  as  a  '  thematic  reference  of 
the  most  striking  importance,  vindicating  the  unity  of  the 
entire  work,  and  placing  the  whole  in  a  perfectly  new  light. 


QUESTIONABLE    SUGGESTIONS. 


843 


(Lenz,  Beethoven,  eine  Ktmst-Studie,  4ter  Theil,  p.  178.)  This 
is  too  strong  a  statement,  as  is  also  that  of  a  writer  in  the 
Orchestra  of  May  1st,  1874,  who  calls  attention  to  the  '  form 
and  figure  '  of  the  opening  phrase  of  the  second  part  of  the 
Scherzo  (Trio,  No.  41)  as  an  *  announcement '  of  the  '  vocal 
portion  of  the  work.'  But  the  subject  of  the  Finale  is  in 
D  major,  and  starts  on  the  third  of  the  scale.  The  one  may 
be  a  modification  of  the  other,  but  they  are  certainly  not 
'identical.'  It  is,  however,  very  remarkable  that  so  many 
of  the  melodies  in  the  Symphony  should  consist  of  consecu- 
tive notes,  and  that  in  no  less  than  four  of  them  the  notes 
should  run  up  a  portion  of  the  scale  and  down  again — 
apparently  pointing  to  a  consistent  condition  of  Beethoven's 
mind  throughout  this  work.  But  surely  the  '  unity  of  the 
work '  does  not  require  to  be  '  vindicated '  or  denoted  by 
such  mechanical  means  as  this  !     However,  to  return. 

The  second  subject  has  a  Codetta  in  the  wind  instruments, 
which  finishes  it — not  in  B  flat,  but  in  G  minor :  and  after 
this  the  following  stormy  phrase  is  started  by  the  viohns,  in 
E  flat  :— 


No.  23. 


repeated  by  the  clarinet  and  bassoons  in  the  same  key; 
by  the  clarinet,  bassoon,  and  flute  in  C  minor ;  and  lastly  by 
the  strings  again  in  D  minor.  In  each  case  the  phrase  is 
accompanied  in  contrary  motion,  though  never  in  the  same 
way.  By  this  bridge  we  are  landed  fortissimo  on  an 
episode : — 


Tutti 


844 


NINTH   SYMPHONY. 


the  march-like  rhythm  of  which  (bars  1,  2,  5,  6)  plays  a  large 
part  in  subsequent  portions  of  the  movement. 

Out  of  it  grows  a  broad  melody  in  the  key  of  B  major  :— 


which,  however,  after  a  short  existence  of  four  bars  is  dissolved 
into  an  astounding  passage  of  semiquavers  for  all  the  strings 
(except  the  basses)  in  unison  and  sempre  pianissimo,  leading 
into  an  episode  entirely  different  and  distinct  from  anything 
that  has  come  before  it,  and  of  the  most  beautiful  effect  : — 


No.  26. 


Viol.  1 


Viol.  1 


Viol.  2 


The  G  flat  and  G  natural  with  which  the  members  of  the 
passage  alternately  commence,  seem  to  be  entirely  accidental 
to  the  chords  which  follow  them  ;  and  perhaps  it  is  this 
fact  that  is  the  secret  of  the  peculiar  tender  poignant  effect 
that  they  produce.  The  passages  repose  on  the  figure 
quoted  in  No.   25,  here  given  in  the  drum,  and  it  will  be 


*  This  group  stands  as  above  in  the  printed  scores.  But  it  surely  ought  to 
be  B,  A,  A,  like  the  others.  At  the  repetition  of  the  passage  (in  E  flat)  after  the 
working-out,  another  variation  is  given,  in  the  new  edition— viz.,  E,  D,  iw 
Still,  on  its  very  first  appearance,  it  stands  in  the  basses  thus  :— 


Rhythm  perhaps  was  more  than  phrase  to  Beethoven, 


FIRST    MOVEMENT.      DEVELOPMENT. 


845 


observed  that  the  phrases  are  again  hurried  as  the  conclusion 
is  approached: — 


From  here  to  the  end  of  the  first  division  of  the  movement 
Beethoven  remains  almost  entirely  in  B  flat.  He  closes  this 
portion  of  his  -work  with  a  loud  passage  of  eight  bars,  in  which 
the  whole  orchestra  ranges  in  unison  up  and  down  through 
the  intervals  of  the  common  chord  of  the  key,  in  the  rhythm 
of  No.  25  :— 


No. 


^LX 


^ip 


/  -ir.-ir/ -1^.-^ 


and  here  once  more  we  encounter  the  restless  hurrying 
already  spoken  of.  The  first  division  is  not  repeated  as  usual, 
Beethoven  doubtless  having  an  eye  to  the  unusual  length  to 
which  his  Finale  was  to  stretch ;  so  he  makes  a  transition  in  his 
own  wonderfully  direct  way  from  B  flat  to  A,  draws  a  double- 
bar  through  the  score,  restores  the  signature  to  one  flat,  and 
proceeds  at  once  with  the  working-out.  For  this  he  makes 
use  of  the  prologue  in  somewhat  more  concise  form  than  at 
the  opening,  but  very  soon  introduces  the  striking  rhythm 
quoted  in  Nos.  25  and  28,  always  with  violent  sforzandos 
For  key,  he  is  evidently  leaning  towards  G  minor.  He  has 
already  (see  No.  19)  given  an  indication  that  he  knows  what 

Grove.— Beethoven'3  Nine  Symplionies.— Novello's  Edition.       Z 


846 


NINTH    SYMPHONY. 


development  liis  main  subject  is  capable  of,  and  he  now 
«ommences  the  process  of  treating  the  four  semiquavers  {a  of 
No.  16)  as  a  regular  melody,  in  a  phrase  of  four  bars  given 
alternately  to  the  oboes  and  clarinets,  and  ending  with  a  short 
ritardando,  which  becomes  very  characteristic  before  the  move- 
ment is  over.  However,  he  abandons  this  phrase  for  a  time, 
and  goes  back  to  the  main  subject  itself,  the  grand  phrase 
quoted  in  No.  16.  And  now  we  see  how  nobly  this  great  com- 
poser and  poet  could  treat  a  subject  after  his  own  heart.  Surely 
there  is  nothing  in  the  whole  range  of  music  more  noble  than 
the  effect  of  this  great  theme,  sweeping  down  through  its 
simple  natural  intervals  from  top  to  bottom  of  the  scale, 
and  met  by  the  equally  simple  pizzicato  bass,  which  is  in 
fact  little  but  the  theme  itself  in  reversed  order.  The  A  flat 
which  Beethoven  has  added  to  the  phrase  on  its  second 
occurrence  (*) ; — 


No.  29, 


Basses  vxzz. 


has  an  astonishingly  passionate  effect.  It  is  no  exaggeration 
to  say,  as  Geminiani*  said  of  a  certain  semitone  in  the  fugal 
answer  in  Handel's  Overture  to  Muzio  Scevola :  *  Quel 
semitono  vale  un  mondo  ' — that  A  flat  is  truly  worth  the 
world  I  But  Beethoven  is  still  too  restless  to  remain  in 
this  noble  and  dignified  frame  of  mind,  and  he  brings  it  to  an 
end  as  he  did  the  prologue,  with  impatient  sforzandos — this 
time  in  C  minor,  and  again  introduces  his  four  semiquavers, 
which  he  seems  to  love,  as  a  mother  sometimes  loves  a  puny 


See  Mainwaring's  Memoirs  of  Handel  (1760),  p.  44,  note. 


FIRST    MOVEMENT.      WORKING-OUT. 


847 


child,  almost  in  inverse  proportion  to  their  significance. 
Something  appears  at  last  to  decide  him,  and  he  goes  off 
into  a  lengthened  passage  founded  entii'ely  on  these  two  bars 
of  his  original  subject: — 


Ho.  30. 


-»^rr  (f^~r^ 


P?3c: 


It  begins  as  follows : — 


No.  31. 


Viol.  1 


m 


sf 


sf 


^ 


^ 


-rT-M- 


Viol.2fe  '^^y     ^=^-^^  'A-^     P=H    B=S     0=R    p5=! 


Fag.  Cellos  &  Basses 


j-:^ri  i^  4 


i"r=r 


J  J  J 


rz^  r  l,'^t=s^ 


The  second  violins  and  basses  have  the  working  of  the  subject, 
while  the  first  violins  indulge  in  wild  leaps  from  theii 
lowest  G  to  the  same  note  two  octaves  higher.  This  passage 
— six  bars  in  length — is  repeated  three  times  in  *  double 
counterpoint ' — that  is  to  say,  the  instruments  change  their 
parts  among  themselves,  that  which  was  above  being  played 
below,  that  which  was  below,  above  ;  and  with  other  variations 
suggested  by  the  skill  of  the  composer.  In  the  present  case, 
aa  will  be  seen  from  the  quotation,  there  are  three  subjects — 


848 


NINTH   SYMPHONY. 


that  in  semiquavers,  that  in  quavers,  and  the  octave  passage 
of  the  violins  :  and  each  of  the  three  is  made  to  do  duty  in 
diifcrent  positions  and  parts  of  the  scale  with  an  effect  of 
which  the  hearer  may  judge  for  himself.  At  length  the 
semiquavers  are  consigned  to  the  basses,  who  retain  them 
for  twenty  bars,  while  the  violins  execute  their  leaps  in  the 
latter  portion  of  the  figure.  It  takes  Beethoven  in  all  forty 
bars  to  work  off  this  mood,  and  at  the  end  of  it  he  seems  more 
than  ever  alive  to  the  capabilities  of  his  little  subject  for 
expressing  the  feelings  which  are  in  his  mind.  But  the  mood 
has  softened,  and  now  the  phrase  appears  as  a  *  Cantahile ' — 
a  word  which  Beethoven  never  uses  without  special  meaning, 
and  never  with  more  intense  meaning  than  here.  The 
passage  is  a  duet  between  the  first  and  second  violins,  the 
cellos  accompanying  with  the  quaver  portion  of  the  theme  : — 


No.  32. 

Viol.  1,  with  Oboe 


Vi(,l.  2.  with  Flute 
cantabLleC   '   ' 


==  Ilk^ 


Cellob 


J^J^W-i 


^ 


VI.  2 

cres.      ^ — -,    pizz. 


JL 


At  length  he  seems  to  recollect  that  there  are  other  materials 
at  command,  and  turning  to  the  second  half  of  the  second 
subject  (No.  22),  he   gives   it   in    F,  treating   it  partly  as 


FIRST   MOVEMENT.      THE   REPRISE.  849 

before  and  partly  in  double  counterpoint,  the  melody  in  the 
basses  and  the  arpeggios  in  the  treble.  But  the  charm  of 
the  little  semiquaver  phrase  is  still  too  much  for  him  ;  he 
returns  to  it  once  more,  trying  it  this  time  mixed  with 
inversions ;  and  at  length,  as  if  resolved  to  dismiss  it  for  ever 
from  his  thoughts,  gives  it  with  one  grand  burst  of  the  whole 
orchestra. 

Here  I  would  call  attention,  though  with  reluctance,  to  a 
singular  feature  in  this  great  work — namely,  to  the  occm-rence 
more  than  once  during  the  working-out  of  the  first  move- 
ment of  a  vacillation  or  hesitancy  in  expression  of  which  I 
know  no  trace  in  any  of  the  other  Symphonies,  but  which 
cannot  but  be  recognised  here  by  a  loyal  hearer ;  where  the 
notes  of  flutes  and  oboes  seem  to  tremble  and  falter  as  if  they 
were  the  utterance  of  human  lips,  the  organs  of  an  oppressed 
human  heart.  These  places  need  not  be  specified,  they 
cannot  but  strike  the  sympathetic  listener,  and  will  almost 
suggest,  if  it  be  not  disrespectful  to  entertain  such  a  thought, 
that  the  great  Beethoven  was,  with  all  his  experience,  too 
much  overpowered  by  his  feelings  to  find  adequate  expression 
for  them.  These  tokens  of  human  weakness  may  be  safely 
left  to  the  affectionate  sympathy  of  the  friends  and  admirers 
of  this  great  poet. 

At  length  the  composer  completes  the  due  circle  of  the 
form,  and  arrives  at  the  resumption  of  the  original  subject 
(No.  16)  in  its  entirety,  after  having  made  so  thorough  a 
treatment  of  the  several  parts.  For  this  he  prepares  by  a 
recapitulation  of  the  original  theme  from  the  prologue  (No.  14); 
but  in  how  different  a  style  from  that  in  which  it  first  crept  on 
our  notice !  Instead  of  that  vagueness  and  mystery  which  made 
it  so  captivating,  it  is  now  given  with  the  fullest  force  of  the 
orchestra  and  the  loudest  clamour  of  the  drum,  and  ending 
unmistakably  in  D  major.  Its  purpose  is  accomplished,  its 
mission  fulfilled,  its  triumph  assured  ;  no  need  now  for 
concealment  or  hesitation  !     And  so  it  merges  into  the  great 


850 


NINTH    STIWPHONT. 


descent  of  the  main  subject,  not  a  mere  unison  as  before — bnt 
in  full  harmony,  with  a  bass  ascending  in  contrary  motion,  and 
with  all  possible  ostentation.  Nor  is  this  all.  To  give  greatei 
weight  to  the  main  features  of  the  subject,  it  is  lengthened 
out  by  the  insertion  of  two  bars  in  the  middle  and  two  bars 
at  the  end.     See  (a)  (a)  and  (b)  (b) : — 


No.  33. 


Wind^ 


j^r^  -i- 


^/^ 


«J  All  strings  in  8ves.#  -<  g       &B**^  l"^'      ^       i 

1—=       ^3    (a)  ^       Sw 


^ 


" — ; ^  ,       T    wind^f 


i=^, 


^  '^'  ^ 


(6) 


^r^Zi'^-f^^^=ir=.,^^ 


I*:ff.^& 


This  is  a  difference  far  more  pronounced  than  that  in  which 
Beethoven  has  indulged  himself  at  the  return  of  the  subject 
either  in  No.  5,  6,  7,  or  even  No.  8,  where  the  theme  comes 
back  in  the  bass  ;  and  it  shows— if  such  a  thing  wanted 
showing — how  entirely  the  prescriptive  forms  of  music  had 
become  subordinated  in  Beethoven's  mind  to  the  expression 
of  the  thoughts  and  emotions  which  were  animating  him. 

The  ben  m areata  phrase  (No.  20)  is  next  given,  but  with  a 
difference,  and  on  a  pedal  D — six  times  over.  The  second  subject 
(No.  22)  follows  on  this,  in  D  major,  and  then  the  various 
passages  and  episodes  already  enumerated,  with  corresponding 
changes    of    keys,    and    important    modifications    in    the 


FIRST   MOVEMENT.      THE    CODA.  851 

distribution  of  the  instrumentg.  At  length  the  repetition  of 
the  first  portion  of  the  movement  is  concluded,  not  as  before 
in  B  flat,  but  in  D  minor,  and  now  begins  a  peroration,  or  Coda, 
which  is  so  immense  in  its  proportions,  so  dignified,  noble, 
and  passionate  in  its  sentiment,  and  so  crowded  with  touching 
beauties,  as  almost  to  put  out  of  mind  even  the  noble 
music  we  have  been  already  hearing.  This  Coda  begins  with 
the  descending  phrase  of  the  first  subject  (No.  16),  harmonised 
as  before  by  pizzicato  basses  in  contrary  motion,  but  treated 
at  much  greater  length  than  before,  and  with  constant  variety. 
Next  a  great  deal  is  made  of  the  stormy  phrase  quoted  as  No. 
23.  The  two  favouiite  bars  which  formed  so  prominent  a 
feature  in  the  working-out  (No.  30)  are  once  more  brought 
forward  and  worked  between  the  horns  and  oboe,  over  a 
holding  A  in  the  strings ;  then  by  the  strings  themselves 
in  unison,  with  the  holding  A  in  the  horns  ;  then  the  stormy 
phrase  recurs  with  an  astonishing  passage  in  contrary  motion 
in  the  violins  ;  and  then  the  ritardando,  twice  given.  So  far 
Beethoven  is  dealing  with  previous  materials.  But,  before 
finishing,  he  has  something  to  tell  us  entirely  different  from 
anything  that  he  has  already  said.  The  earlier  portions  of 
this  movement,  notwithstanding  the  occasional  hesitation  to 
which  we  have  referred,  paint  in  unmistakable  colours  the 
independence  and  impatience  which  characterise  him 
throughout  life,  and  which  in  1823  had  increased  to  an 
almost  morbid  degree.  They  show  all  the  nobility  and  vigour, 
and  much  of  the  tenderness  and  yearning,  which  go  to  make 
up  that  individual  being  who  was  called  Beethoven.  But  this 
the  former  Symphonies  do  also  in  their  degree.  He  will  now 
show  us  a  side  of  himself  which  he  has  hitherto  kept  veiled. 
He  will  reveal  to  us  the  secret  of  his  inmost  grief,  and  we 
shall  see  that,  great  and  noble  and  stupendous  as  he  is,  his 
heart  can  be  a  prey  to  pangs  as  bitter  and  as  unassuageable 
as  those  which  rack  the  fondest  woman.  And  this  he  does 
as  no  one  but  himself  ever  could  do.     The  strings  begin  a 


852 


NINTH   SYMrnONT. 


passage  consisting  of  repetitions  of  the  following  phrase  of 
two  bars  : 


No.  34. 


y^^^iiii^i^^^ 


AU  Strings  pp 

This  passage,  like  the  somewhat  analogous  one  in  the 
first  movement  of  the  Seventh  Symphony,  may  be  regarded 
fts  a  *  pedal  point '  on  D.  It  commences  pianissimo,  and 
gradually  increases  in  tone  through  sixteen  bars  till  it 
reaches  double  forte  ;  while  over  it,  in  the  touching  accents 
of  oboes,  clarinets,  and  flutes,  is  heard  the  following  affecting 
wail : — 


No.  35. 


tr 


^^-^^^^^^bli 


_^^  n  j- 


tr 


r^ 


'^M^BS^^ 


Was  ever  grief  at  once  more  simply,  more  fully,  and  more 
touchingly  told  ?  The  sorrows  which  wounded  the  great 
composer  during  so  many  of  the  last  years  of  his  life,  through 
his  deafness,  his  poverty,  his  sensitiveness,  his  bodily  sufferings, 
the  annoyances  of  business,  the  ingratitude  and  rascaUty  of 
his  nephew,  the  slights  of  friends,  the  neglect  of  the  world* — 
sorrows  on  which  he  kept  silence,  except  by  a  few  words  in 
his  letters,  are  here  beheld  in  all  their  depth  and  bitterness. 
Surely  if  anywhere  he  has  here  produced  his  proprio  e  proposto 
effetto.  We  almost  seem  to  see  the  tears  on  his  cheek.  But  if 
Beethoven  thus  succumbs  to  emotion,  it  is  only  for  a  moment. 
His  independence  quickly  returns,  and  the  movement  ends 
with  the  great  subject  in  its  most  emphatic  and  self-reliant 
tones;  and,  like  the  first  Allegro  of  the  Eighth  Symphony,  iii 
the  very  notes  of  the  chief  subject.     Mendelssohn  has  left  his 


*  It  is  of  no  avail  to  say  that  these  griefs  were  often  imaginary.     Possibly 
ao  :  but  they  were  real  enough  to  Beethoven. 


FIRST   MOVEMENT.      MENDELSSOHN's   JUDGMENT.      853 

opinion  of  this  portion  of  the  Symphony  on  record  *  in  the 
following  interesting  words  :  *  The  conclusion  of  the  first 
movement  (of  Beethoven's  Violin  Sonata  in  C  minor,  Op.  30, 
No.  2)  has  a  'go'  (Schwung)  which  I  hardly  know  in  any  other 
piece  of  his ;  except,  perhaps,  the  end  of  the  first  movement 
of  the  Ninth  Symphony,  which  certainly  surpasses  in  'go' 
everything  in  the  world.' 

The  opening  movement  is  almost  always  the  most  important 
portion  of  a  Symphony.  It  gives  the  key  to  the  work,  in 
every  sense  of  the  word,  and  is  usually  the  representative 
member  of  the  entire  composition.  To  this  rule  the  opening 
Allegro  of  the  Ninth  Symphony  is  no  exception.  Great  as 
are  the  beauties  of  the  second  and  third  movements — and  it- 
is  impossible  to  exaggerate  them — and  original,  vigorous,  and 
impressive  as  are  many  portions  of  the  Finale^  it  is  still 
the  opening  Allegro  that  one  thinks  of  when  the  Ninth 
Symphony  is  mentioned.  In  many  respects  it  differs  from 
other  first  movements  of  Beethoven  ;  everything  seems  to 
combine  to  make  it  the  greatest  of  them  all.  The  mysterious 
opening,  which  takes  one  captive  at  once ;  the  extra- 
ordinary severity,  simplicity,  and  force  of  the  main  subject ; 
the  number  of  the  subsidiary  themes ;  the  manner  in  which 
they  grow  out  of  the  principal  one,  as  the  branches,  twigs, 
and  leaves  grow  out  of  a  tree ;  the  persistence  with  which 
they  are  forced  on  the  notice  ;  the  remarkable  dignity  of  some 
portions  and  the  constant  and  obvious  restlessness  of  others ; 
the  incessant  alternation  (as  in  no  other  work)  of  impatience 
and  tenderness,  with  the  strange  tone  of  melancholy  and 
yearning ;  the  inevitable  conviction,  here  and  there,  that  with 
all  his  experience  Beethoven  has  not  succeeded  in  express- 
ing himself  as  he  wants,  and  the  consequent  difficulty  of 
grasping  his  ideas,  notwithstanding  the  increasing  conviction 
that  they  must  be  grasped — all  these  things  make  the  openmg 

•  To  Mad.  Voigt,  January  10,  1835  {Acht  Brie/e,  &c.,  Leipzig,  1871,  p.  12), 


854  NINTH   SYMPHONY. 

Allegro  of  the  Ninth  Syinpliony  a  thing  quite  apart  from  all 
the  others.  It  is  starthng  to  think  how  much  the  world 
would  have  missed  if  Beethoven  had  not  written  this 
work,  and  especially  the  first  movement  of  it.  Several 
of  the  eight  others  would  still  have  been  the  greatest 
Symphonies  in  the  world,  but  we  should  not  have  known  how 
far  they  could  be  surpassed.  It  is  in  the  hope  of  elucidating 
some  of  the  difficulties  of  the  movement,  and  thus  leaving 
the  hearer  more  free  to  realise  the  total  effect,  that  the 
foregoing  imperfect  analysis  has  been  attempted. 

It  must  be  here  said  that  no  connection  need  be  looked  for 
between  the  first  three  movements  of  the  Choral  Symphony 
and  the  '  Ode  to  Joy '  which  inspired  its  Finale.  The  very 
title  of  the  work — Beethoven's  own — is  conclusive  on  this 
point.  It  is  not  a  Symphony  on  Schiller's  Ode  to  Joy,  but 
it  is  a  Symphony  with  Final  Chorus  on  Schiller's  Ode  to 
Joy — '  Sinfonie  mit  Schluss-Chor  iiber  Schillers  Ode  an  die 
Freude.'  Beethoven,  says  an  intelligent  *critic,  '  has  not 
given  us  any  programme  to  the  first  movement,  not  even  a 
descriptive  title,  as  he  does  in  the  Pastoral  Symphony.'  The 
first  three  movements  might  have  had  another  Finale — 
indeed,  they  nearly  had  one  (see  No.  13) ;  and  it  is  not 
necessary  to  attempt  to  reconcile  either  the  opening  Allegro ^ 
the  Scherzo  (so  called),  or  the  Adagio  with  the  train  of 
thought  and  feeling  suggested  by  the  Ode  which  is  embodied  in 
the  latter  portion  of  the  work.  In  fact,  as  we  shaU  see  farther 
on,  Beethoven  tries  the  three  first  movements  one  after  the 
other,  to  see  if  any  of  them  will  suit  for  a  Finale,  and  rejecU 
them  all  ! 

So  far,  then,  the  first  movement  of  this  great  Symphony. 

n.  The  second  movement  is  the  Molto  vivace ;  in  fact, 
though    not    so    entitled,   the    Scherzo— heve,    for    the   first 

*  Ehlert,  Brirfe,  p.  14. 


THE    SCHERZO. 


855 


time  in  the  nine  *  Symphonies,  put  second.  It  has  a 
double  interest  from  the  fact,  already  noticed,  that,  as  far  as 
at  present  known,  its  chief  subject  is  the  first  actual  morsel 
of  the  Symphony  ever  put  on  paper.  The  movement  is  in 
the  same  key  with  the  Allegro,  and,  like  all  Beethoven's  other 
Orchestral!  Scherzos,  in  triple  time.  It  has  been  called  a 
*  miracle  of  repetition  without  monotony,'  and  truly  it  is  so  ; 
for  it  is  not  only  founded  upon — it  may  almost  be  said  to 
consist  of — one  single  phrase  of  three  notes,  which  is  said  to 
have  come  suddenly  into  Beethoven's  mind  as  he  stepped 
from  darkness  into  brilliant  light. — The  autograph  sketch  in 
the  collection  at  the  Royal  Library  at  JBerlin  bears  Bee- 
thoven's favourite  proverb,  *  Morgenstund  hat  Gold  im  Mund.' 
That  there  may  be  no  mistake  as  to  his  intention,  he  opens 
this — at  once  the  longest  and  greatest  of  his  Scherzos — with 
a  prelude  of  eight  bars,  in  which  the  phrase  in  question  is 
given  four  times  successively  in  the  four  intervals  of  the  chord 
of  D  minor,  though  with  a  strange  irregularity  of  rhythm  in 
the  sixth  bar  : — 


No.  36.  ^ 


The  movement  then  starts  pianissimo  (and  observe,  almost 
wholly  in  consecutive  notes),  in  the  second  violin,  the  oboe 
accenting  the  first  note  of  each  bar.  The  subject  on  its  original 
appearance,  in  1815  (see  page  326),  is  labelled  '  Fnge,'  and  it 


*  This  alteration  of  the  order  of  the  movements  is  rarely  found  in  Beethoven's 
earlier  works  (see,  for  an  instance,  the  Quartet  in  F,  Op.  59,  No.  1).  In  his  later 
years  he  did  it  more  frequently,  as  in  the  last  four  Pianoforte  Sonatas  ;  the 
B  flat  Trio ;  the  last  two  Quartets.  In  such  things  Beethoven  acknowledged 
no  prescription  in  his  later  life,  but  did  exactly  as  his  imagination  dictated. 

f  In  his  Pianoforte  Sonatas — at  least,  in  the  Sonata,  Op.  31,  No.  3 — he  has 
written  a  Scherzo  d  deux  temps.  Mendelssohn's  finest  Scherzos — witness  that 
of  the  Scotch  Symphony — are  in  common  time. 

J  See  Dr.  A.  C.  Kalischer  in  MonatshefUfur  Musik-Qeschichte,  1896,  p.  19. 


866 


NINTH    SYMPHONY. 


is  here  treated  in  a  fugal  style.  After  four  bars  the  viola 
answers  '  in  the  5th  below  '  in  strict  imitation,  accompanied 
by  the  clarinet ;  then — at  intervals  of  four  bars — the  cello, 
first  violin,  and  double  bass  follow,  each  with  its  strict 
response : — 


No.  37 

Viol,  a 


iM—r-Twz=^ 


^ 


-w-wt 


11=  ^ — r 


i=|: 


m 


pp 


Viola  pp 


^^S 


sempre  pp 

!  T 


m 


^^ 


&a 


3^ 


r 

CeUo  pp 


— I —     -i  I 


ui 


The  second  motif^o,  perfect  contrast  to  the  foregoing — is  a 
delicious  crescendo  in  the  wind  instruments  (note  the  harmonies 
at  *  and  *)  accompanied  in  the  strings  by  the  incessant  octave 
fifirure : — 


No.  38. 

Oboe 


i 


Fl.    ,. 


A. 


iE^±q=SM 


■^^1-. 


S 


Fag.  cres. 
8va. 


^t0  1  ^i^A  Jfei 

=H^i=isF^3.^%= 

cen 


do     ff 


This  is  given  twice,  and  is  followed  by  another  very  melodious 


THE    SCHERZO.      DEVELOPMENT. 


857 


•phrase,  also  given  out  by  the  wind,  and  accompanied  as  before 
by  the  strings  in  the  initial  figure — 


No.  39. 


Strings 


and  this  again  is  soon  succeeded  by  a  long  and  tuneful  passage, 
of  which  we  can  only  quote  a  few  of  the  commencing  bars : — 


Wind  p  cres 


Viol.  8va. 


After  this,  the  tone  diminishes  to  pianissimo,  and  with  a 
pause  of  three  bars  we  arrive  at  the  end  of  the  first  portion 
of  the  Scherzo,  This  portion  is  then  repeated.  After  the 
repetition  a  connecting-link  or  *  inter-chapter '  of  eight  bars 
(ending  with  three  bars'  pause)  brings  us  into  E  flat,  and  the 
second  portion  of  the  movement.  And  here,  under  the  same 
form  as  before,  and  in  the  narrow  limit  of  eighteen  bars,  we 
encounter  a  great  deal  of  modulation,  and  pass  from  E  flat, 
through  D  flat,  C  flat,  E,  into  E  minor.  In  this  last  key  the 
original  theme  (No.  36)  starts  off  with  great  drollery  in 
the  bassoons,  and,  as  Beethoven  has  marked  the  score,  in  the 
rhythm  of  three  beats,  'Ritmo  di  tre  battute' — the  phrases 
being  three  bars  long.  In  the  course  of  this  it  will  not  escape 
notice  how  the  drum,  with  characteristic  audacity,  puts  the 

*  Wagner  {Zum  Vortrag  d.  neunten  Symphonien  Beethc/vens)  seriously  proposes 
to  strengthen  the  melody  in  this  place  by  adding  horns  and  modern  valve- 
trumpets,  with  other  modifications.  The  wonder  is  that  so  great  a  composer 
should  not  have  felt  that  any  alteration  of  a  completed  work,  by  any  but  the 
author  himself,  is  impossible.  Mozart's  authority  is  of  no  avail  here.  Make 
the  same  proposition  in  regard  to  a  picture  or  a  poem  and  its  inadmissibility 
is  at  once  obvious  to  everyone. 


868  NINTH    SYMPHONY. 

composer's  direction  at  defiance  by  coming  in  four  times  at 
intervals  of  three  bars,  and  the  fifth  time  making  the  interval 
four.  This,  with  the  co-operation  of  the  bassoon,  seems  to  have 
been  one  of  the  points  which  specially  enraptured  the  audience 
*at  the  first  performance.  The  rhythm  of  three  bars  is  succeeded 
by  a  *  rhythm  of  four  bars,'  containing  some  charming  effects 
of  the  horns  and  trumpets. — We  cannot  help  noticing  at  this 
place  the  extraordinary  persistence  with  which  Beethoven  has 
given  his  directions  throughout  tliese  movements.  In  the 
original  folio  score,  and  probably  still  more  if  we  could 
examine  the  autograph  manuscript,  the  various  indications 
are  sown  thick  through  the  staves.  It  was  his  constant 
practice.  He  had  certain  very  definite  intentions  and  it 
should  be  no  fault  of  his  if  they  were  not  carried  out.  This 
reiteration  is  one  of  the  most  characteristic  things  about  a 
Beethoven  manuscript,  and  it  has  here  found  its  way  to  a 
certain  extent  into  the  engraved  score. 

The  pianissimo  is  maintained  almost  throughout,  and  this 
part  of  the  work  contains  some  truly  splendid  music.  It  is 
wonderful  with  what  persistence  the  original  figure  is 
maintained,  and  how  it  is  made  to  serve  for  melody, 
accompaniment,  filling  up,  and  every  other  purpose.  The 
second  portion  of  the  Scherzo  is  repeated ;  we  then  have 
another  *  inter-chapter '  of  twenty-four  bars,  the  last  eight  of 
them  marked  Stringendo  il  tempo — in  other  words,  slightly 
accelerating  the  time  and  fortifying  the  impulse.  By  these 
we  suddenly  reach  the  Trio,  in  this  case  called  simply  a 
'  Presto.'  This  Presto  is  in  the  key  of  D  major,  and  in 
common  time  of  four  crotchets.  In  the  original  MS.  of  the 
Symphony,  in  the  Imperial  Library,  Berlin,  it  is  in  two 
crotchets ;  but  Beethoven  afterwards  changed  this  by  erasing 
each  alternate  bar,  and  in  the  fair  copy  corrected  by  his  own 
hand,  and  dedicated  to  the  King  of  Prussia,  it  appears  as  in 

♦  Nolil,  Leben,  ili.,  p.  493,  on  Holz's  authority. 


THE    TRIO. 


859 


the  printed  scores.  At  the  same  time  the  pace  changes  to 
PrestOy  an  indication  which,  in  the  original  folio  score,  is 
accompanied,  both  over  and  under  the  score,  by  the  metronome 
mark  *cJ— 116,'  in  accordance  with  Beethoven's  own  letters  to 
Moscheles  and  Schott  already  quoted  (see  p.  337).  In  Schott's 
octavo  score  and  in  the  later  '  critical  edition  '  of  Breitkopf  and 
Hartel  this  minim  is  changed  to  a  semibreve,  thus  doubling 
the  pace  and  making  it  almost  impossible  for  the  horns  to 
play  the  passages  given  to  them.  No  warrant  whatever  exists 
for  the  change,  and  it  ought  to  be  at  once  rectified. 

The  Trio  brings  in  the  wind  with  a  subject  of  eight  bars, 
made  sixteen  by  repetition.  The  bass  trombone  wakes  up 
from  its  long  sleep  and  utters  its  first  note,  a  high  *D, 
fortissimo^  to  welcome  it : — 


c.  «. 


Oboes  &  Clar.       ,       I        „       |       J2-  J  J  \  \      \       , 


B.  Tromb.  * 


m 


^pfc 


&C. 


t^lT^ 


w^^ 


=1=^ 


m 


i^r.r 


qSK 


^l!S 


±=t 


££ 


Fag.  8tac. 


Thisf  theme — a  slight  modification  of  the  familiar  ancient 
melody  on  which  *  Non  nobis  '  is  founded,  employed  by  Handel 
in  *  The  horse  and  his  rider,'  and  elsewhere,  and  simple 
almost  to  rusticity — is  succeeded  by  a  charming  motif,  in 
which  the  violas  and  cellos  run  up  the  scale  crescendo  with  a 


*  Tliis  is  the  note  tliat  Mendelssohn  brought  out  more  prominently  than 
before  at  his  performance  of  the  Symphony  at  Leipzig  in  1841  (the  fourth  time 
he  had  conducted  it  at  the  Gewandhaus),  and  which  Schumann  notices  as 
haviug  '  given  quite  a  new  life  to  the  passage.'    {Ges.  Schriften,  iv.,  98.) 

t  Some  would  have  us  accept  this  old  melody  as  '  unmistakably '  the  result 
of  Beethoven's  studies  in  Russian  music  !  Others,  with  equal  probability, 
would  look  upon  it  as  an  anuouucemeut  of  the  subject  of  the  Finals  I 


860 


NINTH   SYMPHONY. 


delicious  eagerness,  as  if  rejoicing  in  the  freedom  of  the  major 
scale  after  so  much  minor : — 


No.  43. 


^^^J^feE:^^^^^^ 


Cello  &  Viola  p 

F  r fit    f    ^ 


The  first  motif  then  re- appears  in  the  horns,  with  the 
melody  which  before  accompanied  it  as  a  bass  divided  between 
the  strings  in  turns — now  above  and  now  below  the  theme. 
The  theme  then  shifts  to  the  bassoons,  and  the  accompaniment 
(see  No.  41) — in  its  turn  a  theme,  and  a  most  charming 
one— to  the  oboes,  the  horns  gradually  joining  with  a  sub- 
stratum of  harmony  : — 


No.  43. 


The  wkole  of  this  passage  is  well  known,  and  the  delicate 
temporary  modulation  into  F  at  bar  7 — 


THE   SCHERZO.      CODA.      ROSSINI. 

\ ^  I  fP 


861 


^j 

"^z^- 


Tutti 


g:    Ap:      ^^gf"^^      ^'-^^^       f- 


is  as  anxiously  watched  for  and  as  keenly  enjoyed  as 
any  passage  in  Beethoven's  works.  The  delicious  effect 
of  the  peculiar  tones  of  the  oboe  in  this  place  must  be 
heard  to  be  understood.  Berlioz  is  not  far*  wrong  when  he 
classes  it  with  the  effect  produced  by  the  fresh  morning  air 
and  the  first  rays  of  the  rising  sun  in  May.  Whatever 
privations  his  deafness  had  inflicted  on  Beethoven,  it  had  not 
deprived  him  of  the  memory  of  nature,  or  of  the  sense  of 
the  combination  of  sounds  I  Here  he  is  possibly  reproducing 
the  feeling  of  some  sunrise  which  he  had  '  seen  through  the 
mist '  on  the  hills  above  his  beloved  *  Briihl '  at  Modhng, 
or  at  Baden — occasions  which  seem  to  have  awakened  all 
his  religion  and  all  his  poetry. 

In  the  Coda — after  the  repetition  of  the  first  portion  of  the 
Trio — the  whole  orchestra  comes  into  play  ;  and  the  effect  of 
the  great  crescendo  and  diminuendo,  with  the  grand  clang 
of  horns  and  trombones,  and  trumpets  in  low  register  (some- 
what unusual  with  Beethoven),  is  truly  splendid.  After  this 
the  Scherzo  is  repeated  throughout ;  and  then,  with  a  short 
allusion  to  the  Trio,  this  long  but  most  interesting,  elaborate, 
and  exhilarating  movement  comes  to  a  close. 

A  characteristic  anecdote  connected  with  this  movement,  at 
the  first  performance  of  the  Symphony  at  the  Conservatoire 
at  Paris,  has  been  preserved  by  Elwart  in  his  history  of  those 
famous  concerts  (p.  204).  As  Eossini  was  coming  out  of  the 
building   after   the  performance,   he   was    heard   to   say   to 


♦  Voyage  Musical.    Etudes  av/r  Beethoven  (1844),  i.,  346. 
Grove.— Beethoven's  Nine  Sym]9lxonies.— Novello's  Edition.       2  A 


862 


NINTH   SYMPHONY. 


Ferdinand  Hiller,  •  I  know  nothing  finer  {plus  beau)  than  that 
Scherzo.  I  myself  could  not  make  anything  to  touch  it. 
The  rest  of  the  work  wants  charm,  and  what  is  music  without 
that  ?  '  Hardly  less  interesting  is  the  anecdote  told  by  *Lenz 
of  the  behaviour  of  his  fiiend  Glinka,  at  the  first  performance 
of  the  Symphony  at  St  Petersburg.  He  was  completely 
overcome  by  the  Scherzo ;  weeping  violently  and  hiding  his 
face  in  his  hands  he  said,  '  Mais  on  ne  touche  pas  la !  Oh ! 
e'est  impossible.'  Interesting;  but  it  is  difiicult  to  say 
which  of  the  two  composers,  Glinka  or  Rossini,  was  the 
more  self-conscious  in  his  remarks. 

III.  The  Adagio  is  absolutely  original  in  form;  and  in 
effect  more  calmly,  purely,  nobly  beautiful  than  anything  that 
even  this  great  master — who  knows  so  well  how  to  search 
the  heart,  and  try  the  spirit,  and  elevate  the  soul — has 
accomplished  elsewhere  in  his  Symphonies. 

It  consists  of  two  distinct  pieces— distinct  in  tune,  in 
character,  in  key,  and  in  speed — which  are  heard  alternately 
until  the  one  yields,  as  it  were,  to  the  superior  charms  of  the 
other,  and  retires.  The  first  of  the  two  is  in  B  flat,  and  in 
common  time.  Adagio  molto  e  cantahile.  A  prelude  of  two  bars 
— the  second  containing  a  crescendo  full  of  such  unutterable 
yearning  as  seems  almost  to  burst  the  heart  of  the  author — 
introduces  this  broad,  sweet,  and  tender  melody,f  in  four 
separate  strains:  — 


No  45. 

Adiain                ^      \     \      \            Stnngaonly 

r#i^7 

Adagio.          ^  .        1    J^ J       K      ^               '           -V 

-^ — >  r-  -1  r^r •  err  ^'-^^^-^^^--j^^ui^: 

^                        '      '           mezzavoce                          ^ 

^^'>(>  :ur-n^.^_|.i-..r  J'  ui     r.|p— — y,^=^ — \ 

^^       stri^gs.,^^   ^itr  'r  '" ''    r    "-r-^f-t^ 

*  Beethoven  et  ses  trois  styles  (1852),  ii.,  189. 

+  Dr.  Charles  Wood  has  pointed  out  to  me  that  the  bass  of  the  first  two  bars 
of  this  melody  is  identical  with  that  of  the  beginning  of  the  slow  movement 
in  the  Senate  Path6tique  (Op.  13). 


THE    SLOW   MOVEMENT. 


Olars. 


868 


harmonised  in  the  same  style.  The  two  choirs  of  the 
orchestra,  string  and  wind,  are  kept  distinct.  The  melody  is 
given  out  on  the  strings  alone,  and  the  effect  of  the  echo  of  the 
last  few  notes  of  each  strain  by  the  clarinets,  bassoons,  and  horns 
is  exceedingly  beautiful,  quite  original,  and  always  fresh. 

After  the  strings  have  completed  the  melody,  the  last  two 
strains  are  taken  up  by  the  wind,  with  an  arpeggio  accompani- 
ment in  the  strings,  and  the  first  portion  of  the  movement, 
twenty-two  bars  in  length,  ends.  The  time  then  changes 
to  8-4,  and  the  key  to  D,  the  speed  quickens  to  Andante 
moderato,  and  the  second  violins  and  tenors  give  out  the 
following  melody  (a  polacca,  as  it  has  been  sometimes  termed  1) 
in  unison,  accompanied  by  the  basses  and  bassoons  in  an 
exquisite  rhythm,  and  by  the  upper  portion  of  the  wind  : — 


No.  46. 


Viol.  &  Viola,  espressivo 


^        &c. 


864 


NINTH    SYMPHONY. 


(a) 
Viol.  1 ,  - 


In  the  autograph  sketches  in  the  Eoyal  Library  at  *Berlin, 
shortly  before  the  arrival  of  tbe  second  theme,  we  find  the 
words,  '  The  chorus  may  perhaps  appropriately  enter  here  ' ; 
and  immediately  before  the  theme  itself,  as  if  an  indication 
of  tempo,  '  Grandioso,  alia  Menuetto.' 

On  the  repetition  of  this  tune  (over  a  pedal  A  in  the  cellos) 
the  first  violin  accompanies  it  with  an  independent  melody  of 
great  charm  (see  (a)  in  the  last  quotation).  The  Andante  is 
eighteen  bars  long,  and  it  gives  place  at  once  to  the  Adagio 
in  its  old  key.  The  tune  is  now  varied,  after  Beethoven's  own 
noble  and  f  incomparable  manner,  by  the  first  violins,  in 
semiquaver  figures — 


No.  47. 


Violins 


and  the  treatment  of  the  wind  and  the  other  strings  in  the  first 
portion  is  entirely  different  from  what  it  was  before.  After 
each  section  of  the  tune  has  been  completed,  the  clarinets 
and  their  companions  echo  the  concluding  notes  as  before,  and 
with  the  same  accompaniment.  The  delicious  lazy  grace  of  the 
figures  just  quoted — due  to  the  syncopation  introduced— is 

*  See  the  Catalogue  of  the  Beethoveu-autographs  by  Dr.  A.  C.  Kalischer 
appearing  monthly  in  the  Monatshefte  fur  Musik-Oesdiichte,  1896,  No.  3,  p.  19. 

f  Schubert,  in  the  variations  in  his  grand  String  Quartet  in  D  minor,  is  the 
only  one  who  has  rivalled  this  style  of  Beethoven's. 


THE    SLOW   MOVEMENT.      HORN. 


S65 


almost  a  repetition  of  that  which  gives  such  a  charm  to  a  portion 
of  the  Larghetto  in  Beethoven's  Second  Symphony,  namely  : — 


This  over,  the  Ayidante  returns,  but  now  in  the  key  of  G  :- 

!iIo.  49. 


Flute  &  Oboes 


Fag.  in  8ves. 

The  tune  remains  unaltered,  but  it  is  taken  by  the  flutes  and 
reed  instruments.  On  the  repetition,  the  accompaniment 
melody  in  the  first  violins  (a,  No.  46)  is  strengthened  and 
made  more  prominent. 

We  now  return  to  \h.Q  Adagio,  and  arrive  at  a  most  beautiful 
section  of  the  movement.  The  melody  (in  E  flat)  is  given  by 
the  clarinets  and  bassoons,  with  a  deep  horn  as  bass,  and 
occasional  pizzicato  notes  distributed  over  the  strings.  The 
efiect  of  the  opening  is  so  strange  and  so  beautiful  that  we 
give  a  skeleton  of  the  first  few  bars.  Note  the  G  flat  (*)  and 
the  mysterious  effect  produced  by  the  distance  between  the 
melody  and  the  bass  : — 

No.  50. 


Clar. 

?    1  ^- 

,,,j_4^z>fL^trr  •  rjif^^^ 

W^ — ' 

Cor.  ^ 

_i —  1 — 

-Ig 

— — r"=r^  r ^~        "1  ■        1  ■            r  F   ^ 

^b'rr^- 

-^^rj-— ^ ' -^r-r 

366 


NINTH   SYMPHONY. 


Note  too  the  imitation  by  the  horn,  in  bars  8  and  4,  of  the 
tune  as  given  by  the  clarinet  in  bars  1  and  2.  Here,  too,  is  a 
melody,  the  speaking  beauty  of  which  is,  if  possible,  increased 
by  the  peculiar  tones  of  the  horn — the  fourth  horn  be  it 
observed — which  delivers  it : — 


No.  51.  4th  Horn 


This  section  of  the  movement  is  only  sixteen  bars  long.  It 
is  not  a  repetition  of  the  former  Adagio,  and  if  a  variation 
it  is  a  remote  one ;  but  whatever  it  be,  it  is  most  beautiful. 
Farther  on  is  a  *passage  in  which  the  fourth  horn  runs  in 
semiquavers  up  and  down  the  scale  of  C  flat : — 

No.  52.  4th  Horn 


^^^ 


a  feat  of  no  ordinary  difficulty  for  that  much-tried  instrument, 
and,  like  other  trials  of  hfe,  not  always  successfully  accom- 
plished. 

These  sixteen  bars  lead  into  the  second  variation  proper  of 
the  original  melody  ;  the  key  B  flat  as  before,  the  time  12-8, 
and  the  figure  a  semiquaver  one,  of  wonderful  beauty,  dignity, 
and  elegance  : — 

No.  53. 


*  In  the  new  edition  of  the  orchestral  parts  of  the  Symphony  (in  Breitkopf  & 
Hartel's  Orchesterhihliothek)  this  scale  is  slurred  and  marked  in  the  most 
elaborate  way — quite  unnecessary,  especially  as  Beethoven  has  not  marked  it 


THE    SLOW   MOVEMENT.      VARIATIONS. 


867 


with  a  pizzicato  accompaniment,  and  at  the  same  time  extra- 
ordinarily full  of  vigour.  No  passages  of  Beethoven's  or 
anyone  else's  can  surpass  the  following  for  irrepressible 
brilliancy  and  majestic  sweep  of  life — full  of  dignified 
sentiment,  without  a  grain  of  sentimentality  or  any  other 
morbid  thing : — 


and  there  are  several  of  such  ! 

In  the  course  of  this  variation,  the  horn  hag  again  some 
difficult  feats  to  accomplish  (we  quote  a  couple  of  specimens) : — 


No.  55.  4th  Horn 


and — 


No.  56.  4tij  Horn 

i 


^ 


-I     I        F-p!g-i-J        '^ 


^w^^ 


but  Beethoven  has  amply  repaid  this  most  human  instrument 
for  any  such  trials  by  the  lovely  pan  which  he  has  given  it 


868 


NINTH    SYMPHONY. 


in  this  Adn/jio.  The  fourth  horn  was  in  his  good*  graces 
all  through  the  movement,  and  a  horn-player  might  well 
choose  to  have  engraven  on  his  tomb  the  beautiful  notes 
which  are  given  to  his  instrument— either  those  already 
quoted  (No.  50)  or  the  delightful  accompaniment  of  triplets 
which  we  give  farther  on  (No.  58). 

As  he  approaches  the  end  of  the  variation,  Beethoven 
gives  a  specimen  of  his  skill  in  counterpoint  by  adding  a  new 
melody  in  the  flute  (doubled  in  the  octave  below  by  the  oboe) 
above  the  long  violin  figure,  while  taking  as  bass  to  the  passage 
a  portion  of  the  primal  melody  of  the  movement.  The  latter 
melody  is  sustained  by  the  bassoons  and  two  horns,  and  given 
in  detached  notes  in  the  basses  : — 


No.  57. 


Cantahile 

Flute  &  Oboe   J  . 

i.^.r^ri^f^^^^^^^^'^^^ 

4)^  :£LLj'^ 

:gg^L,£.igalLiL.-J.J .. 

r^ 

Two  Horns,  with 
Fag.  8ve  below. 

cd-t 

s)- 1 

! 

^■"H= =T-T— 

_® — ^ =4 1= ,_J 

:p:= 

,  .    _..t= _. 

Tutti  Bassi.  cres.  poco  apoco. 


*  The  fourth  horn.  An  indication  of  Beethoven's  scoring  being  influenced 
by  circumstances  has  been  noticed  in  Symphony  No.  4,  which  is  scored  for  one 
flute  only,  as  indeed  are  the  Piano  Concertos  in  C  and  B  flat,  the  Triple 
Concerto  (Op.  50),  and  the  Violin  ditto.  And  this  while  the  other  orchestral 
pieces  of  the  same  date  have  two  flutes.  In  the  above  cases  Beethoven  was 
probably  writing  for  private  or  special  orchestras.  In  the  present  case  the 
fourth  horn  may  have  been  a  friend  to  whom  he  washed  to  do  a  special  favour. 
Professor  Prout  has  referred  to  a  Minuet  of  Mozart's  in  which  the  melody  ia 
given  to  the  second  violin  and  the  accompaniment  to  the  first — possibly  for 
some  similar  cause  (see  The  Monthly  Musical  Record,  June,  1887). 


SLOW  MOVEMENT.      CODA. 


869 


It  will  not  be  overlooked  that  the  melody  for  the  flute  is 
marked  with  Beethoven's  special  term  Cantahile. 

The  Coda  of  the  Adagio,  like  the  Coda  of  the  opening 
Allegro,  is  almost  more  striking  and  more  beautiful  than  the 
body  of  the  movement  itself.  We  cannot  resist  quoting  the 
beginning : — 


No.  58. 


Viol,   s 


4th  Horn 


Fl.       ,      Viol.         Fl.|^^ 


Viol. 


sr^ 


p^j^ 


where  the  A  flat  (*)  and  G  flat  (*)  have  an  effect  truly 
magical;  and  the  resumption  of  the  florid  figures  by  the 
violin — first  in  quavers  {Cantahile)  and  then  in  semiquavers — 
with  the  response  of  the  flute,  is  too  beautiful  for  words. 

Another  passage  of  four  bars  with  a  transition  into  D  flat, 
shortly  after  the  last  quotation,  might  bo  headed  Yanitas 
Vanitatum,  for  no  more  solemn  or  impressive  dirge  was  ever 
uttered.  But  indeed  the  whole  of  the  Coda  is  a  gem  of  the 
purest  lustre.  The  movement  ends  without  any  mark  of 
pause— a  thing  carefuUy  observed  in  all  the  other  sections  of 
the  work.  And  this  is  so  not  only  in  Beethoven's  own  first 
edition,  the  proofs  of  which  were  repeatedly  through  his  hands, 
but  in  the  manuscripts.   No  irdication  of  a  pause  at  this  place 


870  NINTH   SYMPHONY. 

is  to  be  found  in  any  of  them.  Recollecting  his  extreme  care  to 
note  everything  necessary  for  the  exact  performance  of  his 
music — a  care  which  increased  upon  him  towards  tire  end 
of  his  life — it  seems  impossible  not  to  believe  that  he* 
intended  the  interruption  which  follows  to  be  as  sudden  as  a 
thunder-clap.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  no  future  Editor 
will  supply  the  /tn  without  a  word  of  warning  1  Alas  I  it  is 
not  improbable. 

At  the  same  time,  is  it  possible  to  make  the  necessary 
changes  in  the  horns  and  drums  to  suit  the  change  of  key  in 
the  next  movement,  without  a  pause?  In  our  own  days 
it  may  be  done,  as  Sir  Arthur  Sullivan  showed  at  the 
Leeds  Festival  of  1889,  but  in  1823  there  were  no  valve- 
horns  or  other  mechanical  helps  to  the  player,  except  his 
'  crooks.' 

IV.  The  disturbance  of  the  beautiful  dream  which  has  so 
long  held  us  spell-bound  is  indeed  of  the  roughest  description 
— a  horrible  clamour  or  fanfare,  Presto,  given  with  all  the 
force  of  the  drums  and  wind  instruments,  including  the 
contra-fagotto,  or  double  bassoon,  an  octave  lower  than 
the  ordinary  instrument,  which  was  employed  in  the  Finale  to 
the  C  minor  Symphony,  and  is  here  introduced  into  the  score 
for  the  remainder  of  the  work  : — 


No.  59. 


*  Beethoven's  care  that  all  the  indications  of  tempo,  ho..,  should  be  fully 
given  in  his  published  works  was  as  minute  and  unfailing  as  usual.    To  give  an 


CONNECTION   OP  VOCAL   PORTION. 


871 


A  dignified  recitative  by  the  whole  of  the  cellos  and  double 
basses,  to  which  the   composer   has   affixed   this   direction, 

*  Selon  le  caractere  d'lm  Recitatif  mais  in  tempo,'  seems  to 
rebuke  this  demoniacal  uproar.  We  say  '  the  whole,' 
because  in  the  *early  pei-formances  by  the  Philharmonic 
Society  it  was  the  custom  for  Dragonetti  to  play  it  as  a  solo. 
True,  expression  is  imperative,  as  is  proved  by  Schindler's 
question  to  Beethoven  on  the  point  in  the  conversation 
books :     *  also    ganz    so    als    standen    Worte    darunter  ? ' 

*  exactly,  then,  as  if  it  had  words  to  it  ?  'f  but  this  is  a 
different  thing  from  giving  the  passage  to  a  solo  player, 
however  eminent.  The  rebuke,  however,  is  administered  to 
no  purpose  ;  the  blow  is  repeated  with  even  aggravated 
roughness : — 


No.  80. 


Wind 


Instance  from  this  very  Symphony.  On  September  29,  1826,  he  writes  to 
Schott— evidently  with  the  proofs  in  his  hands — that  the  D.  S.  {i.e.,  Da  capo  al 
Segno)  after  the  last  bar  of  the  D  major  section  of  the  Scherzo  {i.e.,  the  Trio) 
has  been  forgotten  by  the  engraver.  On  January  27,  1827,  he  again  points  out 
the  same  omission,  giving  also  the  page  of  the  score  (73).  Will  it  be  believed 
that  after  all  this  care  the  score  was  published  without  any  indication  that  the 
Scherzo  was  to  be  repeated  ?  Another  indication  relating  to  p.  65  of  the 
score,  corrected  by  him  in  the  same  letter  of  January  27,  was  also  neglected. 
(See  Nohl's  Xeiie  Brief e  Beethovens,  pp.  290,  297,  298).  Surely  with  so  sensitive 
an  eye  he  would  not  have  omitted  to  notice  that  the  rr\  was  left  out  at  the  end 
of  the  Adagio  if  he  had  intended  it  to  be  there  1 

*  David's  letter  to  Mendelssohn  on  the  performance  of  May  3,  1841 
(Eckardt's  Ferdinand  David,  p.  123).  Also  C.  Severn  to  A.  C.  White,  in 
Musical  Association  Proceedings,  1886-7,  p.  106. 

t  Nohl,  Beethoven,  iii.,  p.  484. 


372  NINTH   SYMPHONY. 

Again  the  basses  interpose,  and  then  a  remarkable  passage 
occurs  in  which  Beethoven  passes  in  review  each  of  the 
preceding  three  movements,  as  if  to  see  whether  either  of 
them  will  suit  for  his  Finale.  All  this  singular  passage — 
as  truly  dramatic  '  as  if  it  had  words  to  it ' — is  Beethoven's 
device,  of  which  Schindler  tells  us  (and  indeed  gives,  in  the 
facsimile  of  Beethoven's  writing  at  the  *end  of  his  Biography), 
to  connect  Schiller's  words  with  his  previous  music.  Hitherto, 
in  the  three  orchestral  movements,  Beethoven  has  been 
depicting  *  Joy'  in  his  own  proper  character:  first,  as  part 
of  the  complex  life  of  the  individual  man ;  secondly,  for 
the  world  at  large  ;  thirdly,  in  all  the  ideal  hues  that  art 
can  throw  over  it.  He  has  now  to  illustrate  what  Schiller 
intended  in  his  Ode,  and  the  method  he  adopts  of  connecting 
what  he  has  done  with  what  he  has  to  do  is  truly  a  simple 
one,  but  it  is  effectual.  He  makes  a  horrible  clamour  and 
then  says:  *0  friends,  not  these  noises  !  as  we  are  to  sing 
about  this  great  thing  in  words,  let  us  sing  the  words  of 
the  immortal  Schiller.'  '  But  will  the  themes  of  any  of 
the  preceding  movements  be  suitable  for  the  new  under- 
taking ?  Let  us  try. '  The  first  few  bars  of  each  move- 
ment are  then  brought  on  in  order,  and  each  is  instantly 
dismissed  by  its  author,  speaking  through  the  voices  of  his 
cellos  and  double  basses ;  the  Allegro  and  Scherzo  are  even 
sent  back  with  some  show  of  impatience.  The  heavenly 
opening  of  the  melody  of  the  Adagio,  though  but  two  bars, 
alone  has  power  to  shake  his  resolution,  and  the  recitative 
which  succeeds  it  is  softer  in  tone,  and  almost  caressing 
in  manner,  though  still  sternly  antagonistic  in  its  con- 
clusions. It  is  too  plain  that  no  portion  of  his  preceding 
movements  will  suit  him  to  express  the  new  idea.  At 
length  we  hear  a  new,  fresh  motif  stealing-in  in  the  wind 
instruments — 


*  See  Schindler,  ii.,  p.  55,  and  facsimile,  No.  1. 


ANNOUNCEMENT  OF  SUBJECT  OF  FINALE. 


373 


No  61. 

Allo.asaai.  Oboe 


and  then  at  last  not  only  the  basses,  but  other  members  of 
the  orchestra  welcome  the  deus  ex  machina  with  every  mark 
of  applause.  It  is  only  a  sketch  of  the  great  tune  which  is  to 
come,  but  it  contains  infinite  promise. 

If  not  too  technical  for  these  imperfect  notices,  it  is  right 
to  mention  here  the  slight  point  by  which  Beethoven  has 
differenced  his  sketch  of  the  new  subject  from  the  perfect 
theme  as  it  appears  later,  and  which  gives  it  a  distinct 
flavour.  There  it  is  frankly  in  the  tonic  of  D  major  (see 
the  next  quotation) ;  here  it  is  in  the  dominant  of  the  key, 
over  a  pedal  A ;  and  he  has  even  enforced  the  fact  by 
marking  the  Gl^  in  the  score  in  the  fourth  and  twelfth  notes 
of  the  second  bassoon,  which  had  had  Gj  in  the  preceding 
bar. 

And  now  the  Finale  begins  in  earnest.  First  we  have  the 
theme,  the  prediction  of  which  has  just  been  welcomed — the 
result,  as  we  have  seen,  of  years  and  years  of  search,  and 
worthy  of  all  the  pains  that  have  been  lavished  on  it,  for  a 
nobler  or  more  enduring  tune  surely  does  not  exist.  *  Bee- 
thoven,' says  Wagner  finely,  *  has  emancipated  this  melody 
from  all  influences  of  fashion  and  variations  of  taste,  and  has 
raised  it  into  a  type  of  pure  and  lasting  humanity.'  And 
here,  just  before  we  enter  upon  this  grand  melody,  think  of 
the  astonishing  boldness  and  originality,  and  yet  the  perfect 
propriety  in  so  great  a  master  of  the  orchestra — in  giving 
out  with  the  Band  a  theme  which  was  to  be  varied  hy  the 
Chorus  I     Beethoven  still  lingers  among  his  beloved  instru- 


874 


NINTH   SYMPHONY. 


ments,  as  if  unwilling  to  forsake  them  for  a  field  less 
peculiarly  bis  own.  *  When  an  idea  occurs  to  me,'  said 
he,  *  I  always  hear  it  in  some  instrume^nt  or  other — never  in 
the  voice.' 

And  now,  here  at  last  is  the  theme  of  the  Finale^  frankly, 
as  we  have  said,  in  the  key  of  D  major  : — 


No.  62. 


Allegro  aasai. 


IfE 


uce 


:t=^ 


m 


§^ 


i 


-w-r- 


r-w  ■ 


Cellos  and  Basses  p 


cres.  ^ 


And  note — while  we  are  still  listening  to  the  simple  tune 
itself,  before  the  variations  begin — how  very  simple  it  is  ;  the 
plain  diatonic  scale,  not  a  single  chromatic  interval,  and 
out  of  fifty-six  notes  only  three  not  consecutive.  Much  the 
same  is  the  case  with  the  melody  of  the  vocal  Finale  to  the 
Choral  Fantasia ;  the  melody  in  the  Adagio  of  the  Grand  Trio 
in  B  flat ;  the  Adagio  of  the  Fourth  Symphony,  and  others  of 
Beethoven's  noblest  and  most  enduring  themes.  It  is  indeed 
a  grand  and  pregnant  tune.  Schubert  could  not  escape  the 
spell  of  it  in  his  Great  Symphony  in  C — see  the  working-out 
of  the  Finale  of  that  noble  work  immediately  after  the 
double -bar : — 


No.  63. 


But  to  return  to  Beethoven.     The  tune  is  first  given  soft, 
stealing    upon    the   ear   piano   in    the    double   basses    and. 


FINALE.      THE    SUBJECT   ITSELF. 


375 


cellos  alone  ;  tlien  it  is  taken  up  by  cellos  and  violas  with  an 
independent  bass,  and  a  separate  counterpoint  for  the 
bassoon : — 


No.  64. 

Violas& Cellog  fJ_ 


Fag 


&c. 


-e=^ 


^ 


li^-^r- 


Basses  sempre  p 


■t— ^-t- 


Next  the  first  violins  take  it  up,  accompanied  by  the  whole 
of  the  strings,  and  with  occasional  help  from  the  bassoon ; 
and  lastly  it  is  given  forte  by  the  whole  power  of  the  orchestra. 
Then  comes  a  Coda  containing  new  features :  first  a  ritornel* 
melody : — 


No.  65. 


obviously  formed  out  of  a  phrase  of  the  principal  tune;  then 
an  accompaniment  figure — 


No.  66. 


i 


illTSi&Aiit&i 


Wind' 


in  a  rhythm  which  we  shall  meet  again  in  the  accompaniment 


*  Mendelssohn  could  not  avoid  the  unconscious  influence  of  this  part  of  the 
Symphony  any  more  than  Schubert  could.  This  melody  (No.  65)  is  all  but 
identical  with  the  opening  of  his  lovely  Volkslied— *  Rs  ist  bestimrot'  (Op.  4.', 
J^o.  4). 


876 


NINTH    SYMrnONY. 


to  one  of  the  vocal  pieces:    and   closely  following  tliia, 
vague  and  wistful  phrase  of  one  bar,  'poco  ritenente — 


No.  67. 
P 


-^ 


£P 


Tpoco  ritenente. 

almost  conveying  the  impression  that  he  was  uncertain  oi 
unwilling  to  proceed  farther  in  his  task — an  impression 
which  is  strengthened  by  the  repetition  of  the  phrase  four 
times,  in  the  four  strangely  unrelated  keys  of  A  major, 
B  minor,  E  flat  minor,  and  A  major  again. 

And  yet  noble  and  endearing  as  this  great  tune  appears  to 
as — fully  meriting  Wagner's  warm  eulogium  just  quoted — so 
far  in  advance  of  its  time  was  it  that  we  find  ripe  and  able 
musicians  like  Spohr  and  Oulibicheff  speaking  of  it  in  the  most 
depreciatory  terms.  Oulibicheff  *finds  in  the  theme  of  the 
Finale  'no  reflex  of  the  fiery  words  of  Schiller,  and  the 
immense  and  sublime  feeling  which  animates  them;  but  a 
languishing  Cantilene  repeating  itself  over  and  over  again, 
and  furnishing  no  images  but  those  of  age  and  exhaustion!' 
He  even  suggests  that  it  has  been  borrowed  from  the  old 
Grossvatertanz  of  the  German  nurseries,  as  another  sapient 
critic,  Ortlepp,f  derives  it  from  the  old  hymn,  *  Freu  dich  sehr, 
o  meine  Seele ' — 


No.  68. 


Freu  dich  sehr,   o      mei -ne   See  -  le,    und  ver  -  giss   all  Noth  und  Qual. 


♦  OuUbicheff,  Biog.  de  Mozart  (1843),  ui.,  247,  248. 
t  Lenz,  Beethoven  et  ses  trois  styles  (1852),  i.,  201. 


FINALE.      FIRST   BECITATIVE.  877 

It  is  more  to  the  point  to  notice,  as  Herr  Wasie- 
ieweky*  has  done,  that  Beethoven  himself  has  closely 
anticipated  his  great  subject  in  a  song  (Op.  83,  No.  3)  of 
1810  to  Goethe's  words — 


No.( 


S^E^.i=^^i^l^.J    JlJ    J 


Kiel  -  ne       Blu  -  men,  klei-ue  Blat-t«i. 


Spohr,  while  fjudging  the  first  three  movements  to  be, 
'  in  spite  of  occasional  flashes  of  genius,  inferior  to  either  of 
the  previous  eight  Symphonies,'  finds  the  Finale  '  so 
monstrous  and  tasteless,  and  as  an  expression  of  Schiller's 
Ode  so  trivial,  that  he  cannot  understand  how  a  genius  like 
Beethoven  can  have  put  it  on  paper.' 

And  now,  that  he  may  carry  out  consistently  the  plan 
which  he  had  conceived  for  introducing  Schiller's  poem, 
Beethoven  again  suddenly  dismisses  his  irresolution,  and 
allows  his  music  to  be  interrupted  by  the  horrible  cry  which 
we  have  heard  twice  already,  and  which  might  well  be  an 
impersonation  of  the  opposite  to  all  that  is  embodied  in  the 
*  Ode  to  Joy.'  But  this  time  the  rebuke  of  the  prophet  finds 
an  articulate  voice,  and  Beethoven  addresses  us  in  his  own 
words  and  through  the  bass  singer,  in  a  noble  strain  of  florid 
recitative : — 

♦  0  Freunde,  nicht  diese  Tone  !  Sondern  lasst  uns 
angenehmere  anstimmen  und  freudenvollere  ! ' 

'  0  friends,  no  more  these  sounds  !  But  let  us  sing  some- 
thing more  cheerful,  and  more  full  of  gladness  I  ' 


*  L.  van  Beethoven,  ii. ,  258. 

♦  Selbstbiographie,  i.,  202. 

Grove.— Beethoven's  Nine  Symphonies.— NoveUo's  Editioa       3  B 


878  NINTH    SYMPHONY. 

This  recitative  stands  in  the  score  as  follows  :— 

No.  70. 

Babitone  Solo.  Recitative. 


»J  ^' 


lasst  uus    an 


ge  -  neh-me-re     an-stimme 
^.^  ad  lib. 


tind  freu 


den-volle-re. 


But  the  latter  part  was  too  ranch  for  Preisinger,  a  basso 
profondo  who  was  engaged  to  sing  the  part ;  and,  notwith- 
standing Beethoven's  dislike  to  changes  for  the  sake  of 
executants,  and  his  rebuffs  to  Mademoiselles  Sontag  and 
Ungher,  we  are  told  by  Schindler*  that  Beethoven  altered 
it  as  tfoUows,  both  in  range  and  length  ; — 


No.  71. 


und    freu 


den-vol-le-re. 


\  With  which  exhortation  and  a  third  repetition  of  the  four 
poisy  bars  we  enter  the  vocal  portion  of  the  Symphony.  The 
khole  of  the  following  six  numbers  are  formed  on  the  great 
tnelody  so  recently  played  (No.  62),  or  on  motifs  formed  out  of 
it  or  upon  it. 


*  Biography,  ii.,  78. 

f  Preisinger,  however,  did  not  sing  it  after  all ;  but  at  the  performance  it 
was  taken  bv  Seipelt  with  one  rehearsal  (Schindler,  ii.,  78). 


Beethoven's  alteration  of  schiller's  word.    879 


1.     Quartet  and  Chorus:  Allegro  assai.    (D  major.) 


Freude,  schoner  Gotterfunken, 

Tochter  aus  Elysium, 
Wir  betreten  feuertrunken, 

Himmlische,  dein  Heiligthum. 
Deine  Zauber  binden  wieder, 

Was  die  Mode  streng  getheilt.* 
Alle  Menschen  werden  Briider, 

"Wo  dein  sanfter  Tliigel  weilt. 

Wem  der  grosse  Wurf  gelungen, 

Eines  Freundes  Freund  zu  sein, 
fWer  ein  holdes  Weib  errungen, 

Mische  seinen  Jubel  ein  I 
Ja — wer  auch  nur  eine  Seele 

Sein  nennt  auf  dem  Erdenrund  I 
Und  wer's  nie  gekonnt,  der  stehle 

Weinend  sich  aus  diesem  Bund. 


Freude  trinken  alle  Wesen 

An  den  Briisten  der  Natur  ; 
Alle  Guten,  alle  Bosen 

Folgen  ihrer  Eosenspur  I 
Kiisse  gab  sie  uns  und  Eeben, 

Einen  Freund,  gepriift  im  Tod; 
Wollust  ward  dem  Wurm  gegeben, 

Und  der  Cherub  steht  vor  Gott ! 


Freude,  schoner  Gotterfunken,  &c. 


Sing,tthen,of  theheav'n-descended 
Daughter  of  the  starry  realm, 

Joy  by  love  and  hope  attended, 
Joy  whose  raptures  overwhelm! 

Joy  whose  magic  re-uniteth 
All  that  custom  sternly  parts  ; 

Brothers  all  whom  joy  delighteth, 
Beconciler  sweet  of  hearts  I 

Ye  who  own  the  crowning  treasure, 
Loyal  heart  of  faithful  friend. 

Ye  whose  love  is  woe  and  pleasure, 
To  our  strain  your  voices  lend. 

Yea,  who  e'er  mid  life's  delusion. 
One  fond  heart  hath  called  hia 
own, 

Join  us — but  on  him  confusion, 
Who  nor  love  nor  j  oy  hath  known. 

Draughts  of   Joy  from  cup  o'er- 
flowing. 

Bounteous  Nature  freely  gives  ; 
Grace  to  just  and  unjust  showing. 

Blessing  everything  that  lives. 

Wine  she  gave  to  us  and  kisses. 
Friend  to  gladden  our  abode. 

E'en  the  worm  can  feel  life's  blisses. 
And  the  Seraph  dwells  with  God 

Sing,  then,  of  the  heav'n-descended 


*  A  liistorical  interest  attaches  to  this  line.  Schiller  is  said  to  have  first 
written  it  '  Was  der  Mode  Schwert  zertheilt,* — That  which  Fashion's  sword 
divides.  Beethoven  in  composing  the  line  in  its  later  form  (as  above)  substituted 
frech  (audaciously)  for  streng  (strictly)  a.ud/rech  will  be  found  in  the  first  bar  of 
p.  207  of  the  first  folio  score — in  No.  5  of  the  Finale.  It  has,  however,  been 
erased  by  the  publishers  of  the  subsequent  editions  in  favour  of  Schiller's  word 
streng,  and  Beethoven's  alteration  is  no  longer  to  be  found. 

t  It  will  be  remembered  that  these  two  lines  form  a  part  of  the  libretto  of 
Beethoven's  'Fidelio.' 

Z  This  version,  by  Lady  Macfarren,  is  now  generally  adopted  in  performance 
tnd  is  used  in  Messrs.  Novello's  edition  of  the  vocal  score. 


880 


NINTH    SYMPHONY. 


This  begins  with  a  bass  solo  on  the  tune  itself,  in- 
troduced by  the  four  bars  which  predict  the  tune  (see 
No.  61),  and  afterwards  beautifully  accompanied  in  inde- 
pendent counterpoint  by  the  oboes  and  clarinets.  The 
wealth  of  melody  in  such  accompaniments  throughout  this 
number  is  extraordinary.  Here  is  a  fragment  of  one  of  the 
tunes — 


No.  79. 
„  J,  Oboe  1  ^r-     ^^< 

Bass  Voice 

1                 a 

^^^"-1^-^^::=^ 

1        tt  1 \ '. J ! — 

J 1    'i    1    M   J|     Ul ^ ^ ^ 1 "- 

Wir  be-tre-ten  feu  -ertrunken,  d;c. 
Joy  by  love  and  hope  atteud-ed,  &c. 


Dei  -  ne  Zau-l>er,d;o. 
Joy  whose  magic,  &o. 


(in  which  observe  (at  a)  the  Beethovenish  touch  of  repeating  a 
phrase  in  notes  of  half  the  value).  There  is  another  accom- 
paniment— quite  as  independent— in  the  flute  and  bassoon, 
and  the  melody  quoted  in  No.  65  also  appears  furtively,  in  the 
flutes,  as  a  ritornel.  After  the  bass  solo  the  chorus  and  quartet 
join  in,  at  first  with  the  melody  in  crotchets,  but  towards  the 
end  in  a  more  florid  shape  : — 


No.  73. 


Tenor 


Freu     -     de 
X)xaughts   of 


trin-ken    al-le     We- sen,    An  den  BrUsten   der  Na^tur; 
joy  from  cup  o'er-flowing, Bounteous  Na-tiire  free-ly  gives; 


Beethoven's  idea  of  cherubim.  881 

with  a  jubilant  accompaniment  in  the  strings  : — 


No.  74. 


tr 


semprep^ 


g^^^ 


The  foregoing  sparkling  figures  and  the  loud  fiery  accom- 
paniment of  the  following  nature,  in  double  octaves,  given  to 
the  long  high  holding  notes  which  carry  the  words  '  vor 
Gott  '— 


No.  75. 

ff    Gott 


vor  Gott 


seem  to  show  that  Beethoven's  conception  of  the  Cherubim 
who  surrounded  the  throne  of  the  Almighty  was  of  a  *fiery 
being.  They  do  not  inspire  him  with  the  awe  which  he  feels 
when  he  contemplates  the  *  loving  Father  dwelling  above  the 
tent-roof  of  the  stars,  with  His  children  bowing  down  before 
Him,'  in  the  impressive  passage  which  terminates  the  next 
movement  but  one.     (See  page  385). 


2.    Tenor  Solo  and  Chorus  :  Allegro  assai  vivace:  alia  Marcia, 
(B  flat,  &c.) 

Froh,  wie  seine  Sonnen  fliegen 

Durch  des  Himmels  pracht'gen 
Plan, 

Laufet,  Briider,  eure  Bahn, 
Freudig,  wie  ein  Held  zum  Siegen. 

Freude,  schoner  Gotterfunken,  &c. 


Glad  as  suns  thro'  ether  wending 
Their  flaming  course  with  might 

pursue, 
Speed  ye  brothers  glad  and  true. 

Conquest  in  your  train  attending. 

Sing,  then,  of  theheav'n-descended, 
&c. 


*  This  is  the  interpretation  of  'Seraph '  rather  than  of  '  Cherub'  in  the  Jewish 
writers.  See  Gesenius's  Lexicon,  under  each  of  the  words.  But  Beethoven 
had  uo  taste  £0^  such  etymological  erujiiiries. 


882 


NINTH   SYMPHONY. 


For  these  stanzas  we  seem  to  come  down  from  heaven  to 
earth;  but  a  splendid  earth,  full  of  the  pomp  aud  circumstance 
and  also  the  griefs  of  war.  This  is  a  showy  military  march- 
movement  with  big  drum,  piccolo,  flute,  triangle,  cymbals,  and 
all  other  apparatus  of  warlike  parade.  It  begins  with  a  long 
orchestral  introduction,  for  the  wind  only  (contra-fagotto  very 
prominent),  on  the  following  variation  of  the  theme  in  6-8  : — 

No.  76, 

A  llegro  assai  vivace.    A  lla  marcia. 


Flutes  &  Olars.  pp 


^xrrt^FF^^^ 


Then  follows  the  tenor  solo : — 


No.  77. 


Froh, 

froh, 

wie  sein  -  e    Son  -  nen, 

sein  -  e 

Son-nen 

flie  -  gen. 

Glad, 

glad, 

glad  as  his  suns,  his 

suns  thro' 

e  -  ther 

wend  -  ing, 

supported,  after  thirty-six  bars,  by  a  chorus  of  men's  voices; 
then  a  long  orchestral  interlude  with  the  signatures  of  B  flat 
and  B  minor,  containing  some  beautiful  points,  especially  a 
diminuendo  episode,  eighteen  bars  in  length,  for  horns,  oboes, 
and  bassoons,  beginning  with  a  very  arresting  passage  for 
horns  in  octaves.  The  whole  episode  might  well  convey  the 
poet's  dread  at  the  thought  of  battle* — 


No.  78 


Cor. 
1&2 


^^^"tt'^IT'Cr-hf  bMn^ 


dim. 


Str.^' 


jaiu  p 


•  The  figure  of  the  oboes  and  bassoons  (bars  5  and  6,  11  and  12  of  the 
quotation)  will  be  recognised  as  a  part  of  the  original  main  theme. 


TRICKS   IN   PERFORMANCE. 


888 


piu  pp 


pp  sem^gre 


and  lastly  a  short  chorus  in  D  major.*  The  following  phrase, 
beginning  in  the  basses  and  gradually  pervading  the  whole 
orchestra,  is  largely  used  in  the  accompaniment  of  this 
movement : — 


No.  79. 


f-rV,rrF 


aempre  ff 


Chorus  :  Andante  maestoso.     (G  major.) 

0  ye  millions,  I  embrace  ye. 
Here's  a  joyful  kiss  for  all ; 

To  the  power  that  here  doth  place  ye, 
Brothers,  let  us  prostrate  fall. 


8. 

Seid  umschlungec,  Millionen  1 
Diesen  Kuss  der  ganzen  Welt  1 
Briider — uberm  Sternenzelt 

Muss  ein  lieber  Vater  wohnen. 


*  At  the  performance  of  the  Symphony  at  Moscheles's  '  Morning  Concert,' 
at  the  Hanover  Square  Rooms,  May  23rd,  1838,  Mr.  Moscheles  introduced  an 
organ  accompaniment  to  the  latter  part  of  the  Finale.  '  Mr.  Turle  will  preside 
at  the  organ  in  the  Choral  part  of  the  Symphony '  ;  such  ia  the  advertisement 
in  the  Musical  World,  May  10, 1838.  It  begins  eighteen  bars  before  the  entry 
of  the  chorus  in  D  major  in  this  movement,  and  lasts,  with  considerable 
intermissions,  to  the  end  of  the  work.  It  is  obviously  intended  to  sustain  the 
voices  which  are  so  sorely  tried  in  some  of  the  choruses.  The  title  of  the  MS. , 
which  I  have  had  an  opportunity  of  inspecting  through  the  kindness  of  my 
friend,  Mr.  Felix  Moscheles,  is  as  follows :  '  Organ  :  Beethoven's  Ninth 
Symphony,  last  movement ;  written  for  the  use  of  the  Philharmonic  Society  by 
I.  Moscheles,  May,  1838.'  The  accompaniment  was  used  at  the  Society's  next 
performance,  May  3,  1841  ;  since  F.  David,  then  in  London,  mentions  it  in  his 
letter  to  Mendelssohn  of  the  4th.  '  Yesterday  I  heard  the  Ninth  Symphony 
conducted  by  Moscheles  ;  and,  would  you  believe  it  ?  the  bass  recitative  in  the 
last  movement  was  played  by  old  Dragonetti  as  a  solo.  In  the  *'  stlirzet  nieder, 
Millionen  "  there  was  an  organ  accompaniment,  and  in  several  places  the  voice 
parts  were  greatly  altered.  If  Moscheles  plays  such  tricks,  what  can  be 
expected  from  others  ? '  (Eckardt,  Ferdinand  David,  &c.  (Leipzig,  1888), 
p.  123.    See  also  Musical  World,  May  10  and  31,  1841,  pp.  40,  84 ) 


884 


NINTH   SYMPHONY. 


Adagio  ma  non  troppo,  ma  divoto.     (G  major.) 


*Ihr  stiirzt  nieder,  Millionen? 

Alinest  du  den  Schopfer,  Welt  ? 

Such'  ihn  iiberm  Sternenzelt  1 
Veber  Sternen  muss  er  wohnen. 


0  ye  millions,  kneel  before  Him, 
Tremble,  earth,  before  thy  Lord, 
Mercy  holds  His  flashing  sword, 

As  our  Father  we  implore  Him  I 


This  movement  is  throughout  choral,  and  as  distinctly 
religious  in  character  as  the  last  was  military.  The  three 
trombones  appear  here  in  the  score  for  the  first  time,  and  the 
chorus  opens  with  the  following  subject  for  the  tenors  and 
basses  in  unison,  finely  sustained  by  the  solemn  tones  of  the 
bass  trombone : — 


No.  80. 

AndUinU 

;  maestos 
ff 

0, 

f^ 

1 — 

— I-' 

^^-=^ 

1— -— 1— 

ELf^] 



— — 1 

— I- 

Seid  umsehlungen,  Mil 
O     ye    mil-lions,!  .  . 


li-on  -  en,     Dies-en  Euas  der  gan-zen  Welt. 
embrace  ye,  Here's  a  joy-ful  kiss  for  all. 


— answered  by  the  full  chorus,  with  grand  accompaniment  in 
the  following  imposing  figure  : — 


No.  81. 


mt^-- 


^4-wi>-«^ 


•^  ^r 


'^^^% 


■^^ >■ is    t ><"■».     I F=-« 


:Bm:^ 


•I — tiT 


Contrafagotto  col  Bassl 


*  These  words  occur  in  the  final  chorus  of  the  Cantata  on  the  accession  of 
the  Emperor  Leopold  H.  to  the  throne  of  Austria,  composed  by  Beethoven 
in  1790  :— 

Sturzet  nieder,  Millionen,  an  dem  rauchenden  Altar. 

Tutti  8va.       1 


J.  J.  J-.  J- 


iE^^ 


^^-p->n- 


1^=2^ 


^f^ 


Stiir-zet  nie  -  der,  Mil  -  li  -  on  -  en,    an  dem  rauch-en-den  Al  -  tar. 

There  is  no  similarity  between  the  two  pieces  of  music,  '  and  yet,'  says  Dr. 
Hanslick,  in  the  Nene  Freie  Presse,  May  13,  1884,  '  the  Cantata  unconsciously 
reminds  one  of  this  Symphony ;  as  if,  after  thirty  years,  a  dim  recollection  of  the 
identity  of  the  words  had  visited  Beethoven  in  composing  Schiller's  Ode.'  It  is 
an  interesting  coincidence.  The  Cantata  is  published  in  the  Szippletnent  to 
Breitkopf  and  Hartcl's  large  edition  (Serie  25,  No.  265). 


MYSTERY  AND  DEVOTION. 


885 


The  gecond  portion  (Arlarjio  ma  non  troppo^  ma  divoto)  opens 
with  a  passage  of  interlude,  in  which  the  wood  instruments, 
cellos  and  violas  produce  a  beautiful  effect.  This  is  a  most 
impressive  piece,  full  of  mystery  and  devotion,  especially  at 
the  words,  *  Ueber  Sternen  muss  er  wohnen.'  The  accom- 
paniments are  wonderfully  original  and  beautiful  throughout, 
and  by  keeping  the  voices  and  instruments  in  the  upper 
registers,  Beethoven  has  produced  an  effect  which  is  not 
easily  forgotten.  The  flutes,  oboes,  and  clarinets  seem  to 
wing  their  way  up  among  the  stars  themselves.  The  germ 
of  this  most  mystical  and  beautiful  effect  is  found  in  the 
Finale  to  '  Fidelio  ; '  and  then  more  developed  in  the  Choral 
Fantasia.  It  has  been  alluded  to  by  Schumann  in  the  Finale 
to  the  third  part  of  his  '  Faust.' 


4.   Chorus  :  Allegro  energico,  sempre  ben  marcato.   (D  major.) 


Freude,  schoner,  &c. 

Seid  umschlungen,  Millionen,  &q. 


Sing  then  of  the,  &c. 
0  ye  millions,  &c. 


Beethoven  does  not  intend  his  hearers  to  remain  in  this 
mood  of  mystic  devotion.  The  next  movement  is  a  chorus  of 
extraordinary  energy  and  spirit.  It  is  formed  on  two  motifs — 
the  original  tune  (in  triple  time),  supported  by  trumpet  and 
trombones,  and  the  theme  of  the  last  chorus,  which  we  now 
discover  to  have  a  most  intimate  relation  with  the  main 
theme — and  it  starts  thus  : — 


No.  82 


de,   sclion 
then      of 


er        Gott      '     er  •  funk 
the     Heav'n    -de  -  scend 


en, 

ed. 


886 


NINTH   SYMPHONY. 


Toch     -    ter    aus 
Daugh   -    tcr     ol 


E    -    li 
the     star 


at  -  um. 
ry     realm. 


1 

1         r] 

_J 

1 

J             1- 

^ 

— ^ 

r.^— ^^- 

~^~- 

M 

:= 

-i- 

Mil       - 
I 

1 

.      li 
em     - 

1 

on 
-      brace 

1 

cn. 

^  ye. 

H=ti= 

^M^ 

rrf 

F^^ 

^f-r--f^ 

rirf^ir- 

— j^j^ 
f- — 

-^ — hr-Ti 

^ 

/ 

^sip 

tiJii_J 

The  brilliant  accompaniment  for  the  violins  is  afterwards 
transferred  to  the  basses. 

This  is  one  of  the  most  trying  movements  in  the  work  for 
the  chorus,  and  though  not  so  exacting  as  the  well-known 
passage  of  the  Credo  of  the  *Mass  in  D — where  the  sopranos 
lead  off  the  subject  of  the  '  Et  vitam  venturi '  with  four  high 
B  flats — it  has  a  passagef  in  which  the  high  A  natural  has  to 
be  sustained  for  twelve  bars,  as  well  as  other  all  but  impossible 
feats.  Many  representations  and  remonstrances  were  addressed 
at  the  time  to  Beethoven,  not  only  by  Sontag  and  Ungher, 
but  by  the  |  chorus-master,  but  without  effect,  he  would 
change  nothing ;  and  it  is  affecting  (though  not  unnatural)  to 
find  that  at  last  the  singers  were  compelled  by  the  necessities 
of  the  case  either  to  be  silent  in  these  impossible  passages  or 
to  take  advantage  of  Beethoven's  deafness  and  sing  what  they 
could  for  what  he  had  written.  §  The  only  exception  he 
made  was  for  Preisinger,  the  bass  singer ;  and  that  we  have 
already  noticed.  Moscheles  took  his  own  remedy,  which  will 
be  seen  in  his  version  of  Schindler.||  He  was  certainly 
carrying  Beethoven's  hint  (see  page  813)  into  practice,  and 
*  helping  himself.' 


•  Page  167  of  the  first  folio  edition  (page  84  of  Novello's  8vo  score). 

t  Page  190  of  the  first  folio  edition. 

X  Schindler,  Biography,  ii.,  76. 

§  Ibid., -p.  77. 

II  His  alterations  are  given  in  his  lAfe  of  Beethoven,  1841,  il.,  pp.  19-2SL 


THE   FINALE. 


887 


6.   QuABTET  AND  Chorus  I  AlUgro  ma  non  tanto.    (D  major.) 

Freude,  schoner  Gotterfunken,  (fee.    I  Sing  we  of  the,  &c. 

Deine  Zauber  binden  wieder,  &o.        |  Joy  whose  magic,  &o. 

This  is  for  solos  and  chorus  alternately.  It  opens  with 
four  bars  of  introduction,  in  which  the  original  theme  is  at 
once  given  in  shorter  notes  (*  in  diminution '  is  the  technical 
term),  and  treated  with  close  imitation  : — 

No.  83.  Allegro  ma  non  tanto. 


Viol. 


'^4^^2:.  jum 


Viol.  2 


Viola. 


After  four  bars  of  this  the  solo  voices  enter  with  a  motif  to 
the  words,  •  Joy,  whose  magic,'  &c.,  which,  though  related  to 
the  original  one,  is  new,  and  not  unhke  one  of  Mozart's  gay, 
spontaneous  little  themes : — 


No.  84. 


Toch       •      ter,    Toch-ter  aits  E       li  -  si-um. 
Joy,.    .    .  thou  daugh-ter  of   the    star -ry  realm. 


Farther  on  the  soli  soprano  and  tenor  (and  afterwards  the 
alto  and  bass)  move  in  strict  *  canon  '  with  one  another : — • 


No.  85. 


SOPBANO. 


ne  Zauber, 


Tenor 


Joy,     thy  magic._p^^g  Zauber  binden  wieder,  &c. 
Joy,  thy  magic,  &c. 

The  movement  contains  a  cadence  for  the  solo  voices  of  the 
most  elaborate  kind,  Poco  adagioy  at  once  very  difficult,  very 


KINTH  SYMPHONY. 

singular,  and  very  beautiful ;  it  has  a  strong  resemblance  in 
effect,  though  not  in  passages,  to  the  cadenza  in  the  Mass 
in  D,  near  the  end  of  the  •  Et  vitam.'  For  this  the  sig- 
nature is  changed  to  that  of  B  natural,  and  a  double-bar 
drawn  through  the  score.*  At  the  close  of  the  cadence  ten 
bars  of  increasingly  ra^^id  Allegro  connect  the  number  with 
the  final  movement. 

6.     Chorus  :  Prestissimo.     (D  major.) 
Seid  umschlungen,  Millionen,  &c.     |     0  ye  millions,  I  embrace  ye. 

This  is  the  Coda  to  the  Fljiale,  and  is  on  a  theme  closely 
related  to  the  second  theme  of  No.  81,  but  in  shorter  notes, 
and  entirely  altered  in  character.  The  noisy  military 
instruments  here  re-appear  in  the  score  : — 


Unis.  Seid  um-schlungen.  Mil-  li  -on-  en,  Dies  -  en  Kuss  der  ganz-en  Welt  I 
O    ye    mil-lions,    I    embrace  ye,  Here's  a  joy-ful  kiss  for  alL 

Near  the  close  the  sudden  introduction  of  four  bars,  maestoso ^ 
makes  a  remarkable  effect,  after  which  the  Prestissimo  returns, 
and  the  chorus  ends  with  a  mighty  shout : — 


Tochter  aus  Elisium, 
Freude,  schoner  Gotterfunken  1 
Gotterf  uaken  1 


Daughter  of  the  starry  realm. 
Sing  we  of  the  Heav'n-descended  I 
Heav'n-descended  1 


Such  is  Beethoven's  music  in  his  last  Symphony.  The  first 
three  movements  contam  his  most  human  and  some  of  his 
most  beautiful  orchestral  strains ;    and  if  in  the  Finale  a 


*  For  some  reason — doubtless  a  good  one — Beethoven  makes  this  change 
three  bars  after  the  beginning  of  the  cadenza.  The  editor  of  the  critical  and 
correct  edition  of  Messrs.  Breitkopf  and  Hartel,  with  that  curious  disregard  of 
the  composer's  wishes  which  we  have  elsewhere  noticed,  takes  upon  himself^ 
without  a  word  of  notice,  to  introduce  the  double-bar  four  measures  earlier  1 


Schiller's  extravagances.  889 

reptless,  boisterous  spirit  occasionally  manifests  itself,  not  in 
keeping  with  the  English  feeling  of  the  solemnity,  even  the 
sanctity,  of  the  subject,  this  is  only  a  reflection,  and  by  no 
means  an  exaggerated  reflection,  of  the  bad  taste  which  is 
manifested  in  parts  of  the  lines  adopted  from  Schiller's  Ode, 
and  which  Beethoven,  no  doubt,  thought  it  was  his  duty  to 
carry  out  in  his  music.  That  he  did  not  entirely  approve  of 
such  extravagance  may  be  inferred  from  the  fact  that,  in 
his  selection  of  the  words,  he  has  omitted  some  of  the  more 
flagrant  escapades,  as  will  be  seen  by  comparing  the  Ode  itself, 
which  is  given  entire  at  the  end  of  these  remarks. 

Such  lines  as  those  which  close  the  thirteenth  and  fourteenth 
stanzas  of  the  Ode  are  only  intelligible  in  connection  with 
the  solemn  scenes  described  when  we  remember  the  frantic 
delight  so  widely  felt  throughout  the  Continent  at  the 
magnificent  prospects  held  out  by  the  philosophers  of  France, 
and  which  more  or  less  upset  even  the  best  spirits  of  the  times ; 
which  in  four  years  after  the  date  of  Schiller's  poem  were  to 
culminate  in  the  Revolution  and  the  Reign  of  Terror,  and  the 
recollection  of  which  several  years  later  probably  influenced 
even  our  own  Wordsworth,  in  his  splendid  Ode,  to  use  the 
words  'jollity'  and  'shouts,'  and  to  impersonate  the  universal 
gladness  under  the  image  of  a  hot,  noisy  young  rustic* — 

Shout  round  me,  let  me  hear  thy  shouts,  thou  happy  shepherd-boy. 

We  must  also  remember  that  Beethoven — and  it  throws  a 
strong  light  on  the  sobriety  and  dignity  of  his  genius — had 
already  uttered  his  raptures  at  the  new  era  in  the  '  Eroica  ' 
Symphony,  the  first  conception  of  which  dates  from  1797, 
many  years  before  the  date  of  the  Ninth,  and  which  does  not 
contain  a  trace  of  extravagance. 

We  have  witnessed  the  reception  of  the  Symphony  in 
Vienna.    In  Germany  the  welcome  was  naturally  not  so  warm, 

•  '  Ode  on  the  Intimations  of  Immortality,'  &c.  (1S03-6),  Stanza  3. 


390  NINTH    SYMPHONY. 

The  first  performance  outside  Austria  appears  to  have  taken 
place  at  the  concert  of  Herr  Guhr — a  Kapellmeister  to  whom 
Mendelssohn  was  indebted  for  an  autograph  of  Bach's  and 
much*  else — at  Frankfort,  on  Good  Friday,  April  1,  1825. 
The  second  was  at  the  Lower  Rhine  Festival  of  May  23  of 
the  same  year,  at  Aix-la-Chapelle.  The  performance  wag 
conducted  by  Beethoven's  pupil,  F.  Ries,  but  it  cannot  be 
called  satisfactory,  inasmuch  as  the  whole  of  the  second 
movement  and  part  of  the  Adagio  were  omitted.  It  is  not 
necessary  to  quote  the  report  of  the  Allg.  musik.  Zeitung,^  but 
its  tendency  may  be  inferred  from  its  concluding  words  :  '  In 
spite  of  all,  we  may  say  of  Beethoven,  as  has  been  said  of 
Handel,  great  even  in  his  mistakes.'  At  the  Gewandhaus 
Concerts  at  Leipzig  the  work  was  brought  forward  under 
Schulz,  the  then  conductor,  on  March  6, 1826.  After  this  the 
following  appeal  appeared  in  the  newspaper  of  three  days  later 
(March  9) :  *  A  request.  The  honourable  board  of  directors  of 
the  Concerts  is  most  earnestly  requested  to  give,  if  possible,  a 
second  performance  of  Beethoven's  last  Symphony  at  the 
Concert  for  the  poor  on  Palm  Sunday,  that  a  repetition  of  this 
noble  poem  may  enable  its  inmost  depths  to  be  revealed.  In  the 
names  of  several  friends  of  music. 'J  Doubtless  in  obedience 
to  this  request,  a  second  performance  took  place  on  March 
29th,  and  a  third  was  given  on  October  19th  of  the  same 
year  (the  second  of  these  without  the  Finale),  A  long 
and  adverse  criticism  of  the  last  of  the  three  (doubtless  by 
Fink)  will  be  found  in  the  A.  m.  Z.  of  that  year,  p.  853. 
'  Beethoven  is  still  a  magician ;  and  it  has  pleased  him  on 
this  occasion  to  raise  something  supernatural ;  to  which  this 
critic  does  not  consent.'  These  judgments  cannot  be 
wondered  at.   The  standpoint  of  the  work  is  in  advance  of  that 

♦  Mendelssohn,  Lett^,  June  18, 1839. 

f  xxvii.  (1825),  447. 

%  Dorfifel,  Festschrift ;   'Chronik,'  p.  68- 


Mendelssohn's  performance  on  the  piano.     891 

of  even  the  latest  of  its  predecessors.  Splendid  and  beautiful 
as  several  of  the  orchestral  movements  are,  they  contained 
none  which  at  once  fastened  on  the  world  as  the  Allegrettos  of 
No.  7  and  No.  8  had  done  ;  while  in  addition  to  its  length  and 
its  native  strangeness  and  frequent  obscurity,  there  was  the 
executive  difficulty  of  the  music,  which  was  really  above*  the 
heads  of  the  orchestras  of  the  day,  and  the  serious  obstacle  of 
the  novelty  of  the  vocal  Finale.  Some  such  consideration 
may  have  induced  Moser,  then  a  concert- director  in  Berlin, 
to  take  the  singular  course  of  engaging  young  Felix  Mendels- 
sohn, then  a  lad  of  seventeen,  to  play  the  work  through  ov 
the  piano  as  an  introduction  to  an  orchestral  performance  a 
fortnight  later.  Mendelssohn's  feat  took  place  on  the  13th 
of  November,  1826,  at  the  Jagerhall,  at  Berlin,  before  the  most 
eminent  musicians  and  amateurs  of  the  city,  and  a  report  of 
it  was  made  at  the  time  by  L.  Rellstab — who  turned  over  for 
him  on  the  occasion — which  is  given  in  his  Gesammelte 
Schriften,  xx.,  p.  5.  Moser's  orchestral  performance  took 
place  on  the  27th  of  the  same  month. 

The  first  performance  at  the  Gewandhaus  Concerts,  under 
Mendelssohn's  direction,  took  place  on  February  11,  1836. 
Schumann  thought  the  tempi  too  t  rapid,  but  in  other  respects 
does  him  justice.  For  instance,  in  the  concert  of  February 
11,  1841,  he  notices  Jthe  note  of  the  bass  trombone  at  the 
beginning  of  the  Trio,  which  Mendelssohn  had  brought  out 
for  the  first  time  *  with  an  astonishing  effect,  giving  quite  a 
new  life  to  the  passage.' 

With  all  her  unusual  opportunities  for  music  Mendelssohn's 
sister  Fanny,  strange  to  say,  had  not  heard  the  Symphony 
till  1836,  when  she  heard  it  under  her  brother's   baton   at 

*  Even  when  tliey  had  a  fair  chance  !  What  hope  could  there  have  been 
when,  as  at  the  concert  mentioned  by  Hanslick  {Geschichie  Concertwesew  in 
Wien,  p.  62),  the  conductor  had  never  seen  the  score  1 

t  Gesam.  Schriften  (Ed.  1),  ii.,  214. 

X  i&id.,iv..98. 


392  NINTH    SYMPHONY. 

Diisseldorff.  FTcr  remarks  upon  it  are  worth  reading,  though 
they  were  probably  modified  as  she  became  acquainted  with  the 
music.  *  This  gigantic  Ninth  Symphony,'  says  she,*  *  which  is 
so  grand  and  in  parts  so  abominable,  as  only  the  work  of  the 
greatest  composer  could  be,  was  played  as  if  by  one  man  ;  the 
finest  nuancesj  the  most  hidden  meanings  were  expressed  to 
perfection;  the  masses  fell  into  shape,  the  music  became 
comprehensible,  and  for  the  most  part  exquisitely  beautiful. 
A  gigantic  tragedy  with  a  conclusion  meant  to  be  f  dithyrambic, 
but  falling  from  its  height  into  the  opposite  extreme— into 
burlesque.' 

In  Paris,  Habeneck,  with  his  usual  caution,  deferred  the 
production  till  he  had  had  sufiicient  rehearsals  ;  and  it  was 
first  performed  at  the  Conservatoire  Concert  of  March  27, 
1831. 1  After  that  time,  and  after  a  little  coquetting  with 
the  instrumental  movements  only,  it  took  a  regular  place  in 
the  programmes. 

In  England  the  Symphony  was  first  heard  at  the  Phil- 
harmonic Society,  at  a  concert  of  the  early  date  of  March  21, 
1825,  conducted  by  Sir  George  Smart.  The  score  was  not  yet 
published,  and  a  MS.  copy  had  been  obtained  from  Beethoven, 
still  in  the  possession  of  the  Society,  which,  though  not  wholly 
an  autograph,  had  been  corrected  throughout  by  him  and  bore 
these  words,  in  his  own  hand,  on  the  title-page :  *  Grosse 
Symphonie  gesclirieben  fiir  die  Philharmonische  Gesellschaft 
in  London,  von  Ludwig  van  Beethoven.  Erster  Satz.' 
('  Grand  Symphony  written  for  the  Philharmonic  Society  of 
London  by  Ludwig  van  Beethoven.  First  Movement.')  The 
words  of  the  Finale  were  translated  into  §  Italian,  and  the 
solos  were  sung  by  Madame  Caradori,  Miss   GoodaU,  Mr. 

*  Die  Familie  Mendelssohn  (Ed.  2),  ii. ,  9. 

f  '  Dithyrambic :  Any  poem  written  with  wildness  and  enthusiasm.' — 
Johnson. 

X  A  year  earlier  than  No.  8. 

§  A  prose  English  version  was  printed  on  the  programme-card  for  the 
information  of  the  hearers- 


PERFORMANCE   BY  PHILHARMONIC   SOCIETY. 

Vaughan,  and  Mr.  Phillips.  The  performance  lasted  for  one 
hour  and  four  minutes. 

Sir  George  Smart  had  taken  great  pains  on  the  occasion. 
We  do  not  know  how  many  rehearsals  there  were,  but  the 
work  met  with  no  favour  from  the  audience,  as  is  evident 
from  the  remarks  in  the  Harmonicon,  at  that  time  the 
leading  musical  paper  in  London,  edited  by  Wm.  Ayrton,  a 
musician  of  much  intelligence,  and,  for  the  time,  of  liberal 
views.  But,  as  we  have  already  said,  no  proper  judgment 
could  be  expected,  either  here  or  in  Germany,  in  the  teeth  of 
a  poor  performance  and  extreme  novelty,  from  gentlemen  who 
were  not  only  far  behind  the  great  composer  whom  they  were 
criticising,  but  believed  themselves  to  be  so  far  his  superiors 
as  even  to  advise  him  how  to  modify  his  work  that  it  might 
obtain  their  approbation.* 

Apropos  of  the  rehearsal  or  trial — probably  there  was  only  one 
— Wm.  Ayrton  saysf  that  the  composition  *  embodies  enough 
of  original  matter,  of  beautiful  effects  and  skilful  contrivances, 
to  form  an  admirable  Symphony  of  ordinary  duration,  but 
that  unfortunately  the  author  has  spun  it  out  to  so  unusual  a 
length  that  he  has  drawn  out  the  thread  of  his  verbosity  finer 
than  the  staple  of  his  argument.*  Of  the  performance  itself, 
a  month  J  later,  he  remarks : — 

*The  new  Symphony  of  Beethoven,  composed  for,  and 
purchased  at  a  liberal  price  by,  this  society,  was  now  first 
publicly  produced.  We  see  no  reason  for  altering  the  opinion 
offered  in  our  last  number.  ...  In  the  present  Symphony 
we  discover  no  diminution  of  Beethoven's  creative  talent ;  it 


*  Mendelssohn,  of  course,  was  in  a  different  boat ;  and  yet  I  fear  that  there 
is  no  donbt  that  he  made  cuts  in  Schubert's  great  Symphony  for  the  performance 
at  Leipzig.  Berlioz,  too,  allowed  himself  some  strange  freaks  in  reference  to 
Weber's  '  Freischiitz.' 

f  Ha/nnonicon,  1825,  p.  47.   It  is  difficult  to  understand  the  statement  (p.  48) 
that  the  Symphony  would  take  an  hour  and  twenty  minutes  in  performance. 
t  lUd.,  p.  69. 
Grove.— Beethoven's  Nine  Symphonies.— Novello's  Edition       fl  0 


894  NINTH    SYMPHONY. 

exhibits  many  perfectly  new  traits,  and  in  its  technical 
formation  shews  amazing  ingenuity  and  unabated  vigour 
of  mind.  But  with  all  the  merits  which  it  unquestionably 
possesses,  it  is  at  least  twice  as  long  as  it  should  be;  it  repeats 
itself,  and  the  subjects  in  consequence  become  weak  by 
reiteration.  The  last  movement,  a  chorus,  is  heterogeneous, 
and  though  there  is  much  vocal  beauty  in  parts  of  it,  yet  it 
does  not,  and  no  habit  will  ever  make  it,  mix  up  with  the 
first  three  movements.  This  chorus  is  a  hymn  to  joy, 
commencing  with  a  recitative,  and  relieved  by  many  soli 
passages.  What  relation  it  bears  to  the  Symphony  we  could 
not  make  out ;  and  here,  as  well  as  in  other  parts,  the  want  of 
intelligible  design  is  too  apparent. . . .  The  most  original  feature 
in  this  Symphony  is  the  Minuet,  and  the  most  singular  part, 
the  succeeding  Trio — striking,  because  in  duple  time,  for 
which  we  are  not  acquainted  with  anything  in  the  shape  of  a 
precedent.  We  were  also  much  pleased  by  a  very  noble  march 
which  is  introduced.  In  quitting  the  present  subject,  we  must 
express  our  hope  that  this  new  work  of  the  great  Beethoven 
may  be  put  into  a  produceable  form ;  that  the  repetitions  may 
be  omitted,  and  the  chorus  removed  altogether.  The  Symphony 
will  then  be  heard  with  unmixed  pleasure,  and  the  reputation 
of  its  author  will,  if  possible,  be  further  augmented.' 

The  next  performance  in  London  was  on  April  26,  1830,  at 
the  concert  of  Mr.  Charles  Neate,  a  well-known  musician  of 
the  time,  who  had  spent  a  year  in  very  intimate  contact  with 
Beethoven.  Sir  George  Smart  was  the  conductor.  The  Phil- 
harmonic Society  resumed  their  performances  on  April  17, 
1837;  April  23,  1838;  and  May  8,  1841,  &c.  ;  each  time 
under  the  conduct  of  Moscheles.  On  March  26,  1855,  the 
Symphony  was  given  under  the  conduct  of  Wagner. 

The  following  performances  are  also  recorded  :  the  Eoyal 
Academy  of  Music,  June  20,  1835,  and  agam  April  15,  1836. 
Mr.  Charles  Lucas  conducted  both  times,  and  Oxenford's  trans- 
lation was  first  used ;  the  Societa  Armonica,  March  24,  1836, 


LATER  PERFORMANCES  IN  LONDON.         895 

conductor,  Mr.  H.  Forbes;  at  Drury  Lane  Theatre  for  the 
Beethoven  Monument  at  Bonn,  July  19,  1837,  conductor, 
Mr.  Moschelea ;  Moscheles's  Morning  Concert,  May  23,  1838 
(already  mentioned).  London  can  hardly  be  said  to  have 
been  wanting  in  anxiety  to  hear  the  masterpiece  ! 

An  epoch  in  the  history  of  the  Ninth  Symphony  in  this 
country  is  formed  by  the  performances  of  the  so-called  New 
Philharmonic  Society,  under  Berlioz  and  Spohr,in  1852  (twice) 
and  1858  respectively.  They  were  held  in  Exeter  Hall,  and 
many  persons  then  heard  this  mighty  work  for  the  first  time. 
A  fresh  translation  was  made  by  G.  Linley. — At  the  Crystal 
Palace  it  was  first  performed  on  April  22,  1865,  and  has  been 
played  twenty-five  times  since.  It  is  now  one  of  the  most 
attractive  pieces  that  can  be  given  in  London,  and  even  if 
the  *proposal  of  Dr.  von  Biilow  to  perform  it  twice  at  one 
concert,  with  an  interval  of  half-an-hour  between  the  two 
performances,  were  attempted,  we  should  probably  be 
astounded  at  the  number  who  would  remain  to  the  second  I 

Li  the  United  States  the  first  performance  was  given  on 
May  20,  1846,  by  the  Philharmonic  Society  of  New  York.f 

There  would  seem  to  be  a  certain  difference  between  the 
position  of  the  Ninth  Symphony  in  England  and  in  other 
countries.  It  is  received  with  a  special  sentiment  by 
Englishmen,  a  sentiment  which  attaches  to  no  other  of  the 
nine.  When  classical  orchestral  music  began  to  be  brought 
before  the  pubhc  of  non-professional  hearers,  through  the 
performances  of  the  '  New  Philharmonic  '  and  the  Crystal 
Palace,  the  Choral  Symphony,  to  those  who  heard  it,  as  many 
did,  for  the  first  time,  assumed  a  special  position  outside  its 
individual  musical  qualities.  This  was  more  or  less  based 
on  the  following  facts.     It  was  Beethoven's  last  and  greatest 

*  This  was  carried  into  effect  at  the  Berlin  Philharmonic  Concert  of  JlarchS, 
1889. 

+  See  The  Philharmonic  Society  of  New  York,  by  Henry  Edward  Krehbiel, 
1892. 


896  NINTH   SYMPHONY. 

orchestral  work.  It  was  said  to  be  extraordinarily  difficult,  if 
not  impossible  of  execution.  It  stood  alone  among  Symphonies 
as  having  a  chorus.  This  flavoured  the  whole  performance, 
and  one  felt  through  the  Finale  a  desponding  sympathy  with 
the  singers,  who,  do  their  best,  could  never  execute  their 
parts  properly.  It  was  strangely  different  from  Handel's 
choruses,  at  that  time  to  English  hearers  the  accepted  model 
for  choral  music.  It  was  for  the  most  part  pervaded 
by  a  lofty,  mystical,  almost  religious  tone,  which  none  of 
the  others  possessed.  There  never  was  a  doubt  in  one's 
mind  that  in  this  work  one  was  entering  a  higher,  more 
remote  heaven  than  even  the  *  Eroica,'  the  C  minor,  or  the 
No.  7.  Hence  the  hearing  of  this  work  was  an  event  in  one's 
life ;  and  to  some,  certainly  to  the  writer,  this  feeling  remains. 
To  me,  I  am  happy  to  say,  the  Ninth  Symphony  still  possesses 
the  strange  cast  and  mysterious  fascination  with  which  I  first 
heard  it  imder  Berhoz  and  Spohr  in  1852  and  1853.  Com- 
parisons are  always  undesirable,  but  sometimes  they  are 
inevitable.  The  impression  left  by  Mont  Blanc  or  the  Great 
Pyramid  is  unique,  and  so  is  that  of  the  Ninth  Symphony. 
There  can  be  no  doubt  that  Beethoven's  last  Symphony  is 
also  his  greatest.  This  was  Schumann's  opinion.  He  says  :* 
*  It  seems  as  if  we  were  at  last  beginning  to  understand 
that  in  this  work  the  great  man  has  given  us  of  his  greatest/ 
In  his  fletter  to  Prince  von  Hatzfeld,  the  Prussian 
Ambassador  at  Vienna,  Beethoven  too  says :  '  I  am  just 
publishing  the  greatest  Symphony  I  have  yet  written — '  die 
grosste  Symphonie  die  ich  bisher  geschrieben ' — (not  '  one  of 
my  best,'  as  in  the  case  of  No.  7,  see  page  270). 

These  judgments,  by  the  master  himself  and  one  of  the 
greatest  of  his  disciples  and  followers,  have  been  amply 
ratified  by  the  world  in  the  interval,  and  there  is  perhaps 

♦  Ges.  Sckri/ten,  iv.,  98.    Concert  of  February  11,  1S41. 
t  Nohl,  Brie/e,  i.,  323,  note. 


897 

now  no  one  able  to  judge  who  does  not  fully  join  in  the 
opinion  that  the  Ninth  Symphony  was  the  climax  of 
Beethoven's  work. 


In  the  last  few  years  of  his  life,  the  thoughts  of  the 
composer  of  *  Fidelio '  and  the  '  Mount  of  Ohves '  often 
strayed  in  the  direction  of  opera  and  oratorio,  but  without 
any  definite  result.  A  large  number  of  MS.  opera  libretti  had 
accumulated  in  his  possession,  but  none  of  them  was  to  his 
mind.  What  he  wanted  he  told  Gerhard  von  Breuning  on  his 
death-bed.  He  craved  something  to  interest  and  absorb  him, 
but  of  a  moral  and  elevating  tendency,  of  the  nature  of  '  Les 
deux  journees '  or  '  Die  Vestalin,'  both  which  he  thoroughly 
approved.  Immoral  stories  like  those  of  Mozart's  operas  had 
no  *attraction  for  him,  and  he  could  never  be  brought  to  set 
them. 

At  the  request  of  the  '  Gesellschaft  der  Musikfreunde '  of 
Vienna,  Beethoven  had  imdertaken,  somewhere  about  1818, 
to  write  an  oratorio  to  a  libretto  to  be  supplied  by  a  certain 
Herr  von  Bernard ;  and  though  he  would  have  preferred  a 
heroic  subject  to  a  sacred  one,  so  far  did  he  look  upon  the 
engagement  a,sbondJide  that  on  August  18,  1819,  he  received 
from  the  Committee  a  sum  of  four  hundred  florins  in  respect 
of  the  work.  It  dragged  on,  however,  in  spite  of  repeated 
enquiries  and  remonstrances,  and  died  a  natural  death  in 
1826.t 

Meantime,  in  1823,  he  received  a  communication  from  an 
unexpected  quarter,  the  '  Handel  and  Haydn  Society,'  of 
Boston,  U.S.A.,  inviting  him  to  write  a  Bibhcal  oratorio  for 

*  This  is  put  in  an  exaggerated  form  by  the  Duchesse  d'Abrantes,  in  the  notice 
of  Beethoven's  death  in  her  Menwires  sur  la  Restauration  (1837),  vii.,  69,  70  : 
*  II  pretendait  que  Mozart  ne  devait^os  prostituer  son  talent,  c'est  son  mot,  sur 
un  sujet  si  scandaleux.' 

t  See  the  story  in  C.  F.  Pohl'a  Die  Geseilscha/t  der  Musikfreunde,  Wien.  1871, 
pp.  8,  la 


898  NINTH   SYMPHONY. 

them,  on  a  text  translated  into  German  from  an  original  in 
English  by  the  U.S.  Consul  at  Vienna.  This  also  came  to 
nothing ;  but  the  attempt  will  always  redound  to  the  lasting 
honour  of  the  Boston  Society.* 

Another  very  important  proposition  was  made  to  him  by 
the  eminent  publishing  firm  of  Breitkopf  and  Hartel,  of 
Leipzig,  through  fRochlitz,  at  his  visit  to  Vienna  in  1823 
— namely,  the  composition  of  '  Faust '  in  a  similar  style  to 
the  *  Egmont '  music.  It  seems  to  have  inspired  the  old 
admirer  of  Goethe  with  unusual  interest:  'That,'  said  he, 
•  would  be  a  fine  piece  of  work.'  ...  *  Something  might  be 
done  with  that.'  But  no  progress  seems  to  have  been  made 
with  it.  He  was  now  probably  too  far  advanced  in  life  to  look 
with  the  favour  necessary  for  composition  on  any  subject  not 
entirely  spontaneous. 

There  was,  however,  one  department  of  music  which 
Beethoven  still  pursued  with  the  greatest  success.  To  the 
last  two  years  and  a  half  of  his  life  are  due  those  wonderful 
String  Quartets  which,  under  the  name  of  '  posthumous,* 
have  been  the  admiration  and  astonishment  of  the  world 
up  to  the  present  time,  and  which  bear  a  somewhat  similar 
relation  to  the  earlier  Quartets  that  the  Ninth  Symphony 
bears  to  the  earher  Symphonies.  The  last  Quartet  that  he 
produced  before  the  period  of  which  we  are  speaking  was  that 
in  F  minor,  Op.  95,  which  bears  his  own  title,  Quartett 
serioso,  and  date  of  October,  1810.  Those  of  this  period  are 
as  follows : — 

E  flat.  Op.  127.     1824. 

B  flat.  Op.  130.     1825. 

Cft  minor.  Op.  131.     1826. 

A  minor.  Op.  132.     1825. 

F  major.  Op.  135.     1826. 

•  See  The  History  of  the  Handel  and  Haydn  Society  (Boston,  1893),  p.  87. 
t  See  Rochlitz,  Fiir  Freunde  der  Tonkunst  (Leipzig,  1832),  Vol.  IV.,  p.  357. 


BEETHOVEN   AND    SHAKESPEARE.  899 

The  very  last  piece  of  work  completed  by  the  master  wag 
a  fresh  Finale — the  existing  one — to  the  Op.  130,  to  replace 
the  extremely  long  and  elaborate  fugue  which  had  originally 
terminated  it,  but  which  is  virtually  unplayable.  (It  is  now 
known  in  two  forms,  as  Op.  133  and  134.)  The  new  Finale 
was  written  at  Gneixendorf  (see  page  133),  and  though  dated 
November,  1826,  within  four  months  of  his  death,  on 
March  26,  1827,  is  extraordinarily  gay. 

These  great  works  he  did  as  no  one  ever  did,  and  probably 
no  one  ever  will.  But  of  orchestral  music  he  wrote  no  more 
after  the  Ninth  Symphony.  Music  will  advance  in  richness, 
scope,  and  difficulty;  but  such  music  as  Beethoven's  great 
instrumental  works,  in  which  thought,  emotion,  melody,  and 
romance  combine  with  extraordinary  judgment  and  common 
sense,  and  a  truly  wonderful  industry,  to  make  a  perfect 
whole,  can  hardly  any  more  be  written.  The  time  for  such  an 
event,  such  a  concurrence  of  the  man  and  the  circumstances, 
will  not  again  arrive.  There  can  never  be  a  second  Beethoven 
or  a  second  Shakespeare.  However  much  orchestras  may 
improve  and  execution  increase,  Beethoven's  Symphonies 
will  always  remain  at  the  head  of  music  as  Shakespeare's 
plays  are  at  the  head  of  the  literature  of  the  modem  world — 

Age  cannot  wither  them,. nor  custom  stale 
Their  infinite  variety. 


iOO 


NINTH  SYMPHONT. 


SCHILLER'S  ODE,  AN  DIE  FREUDE   (1785). 
KB. —The stanzas  marked  by  the  side-rules  were  not  composed  by  Beethoven. 


Fronde,  schoner  Qotterfunken, 

Tochter  aus  Elysium, 
Wir  betreten  feuertranken, 

Himinlische,  dein  Heiligthum, 
Deine  Zauber  binden  wieder, 

Was  die  Mode  streng  getheilt ; 
Alle  Menschen  werden  Brtder, 

Wo  dein  sanltor  Fiagol  weilt. 

Chor. 

Seid  tmisclilTingen,  Millionen  I 
Diesen  Kuss  der  ganzen  Welt  I 
Brtider— liberm  Stemenzelt 

Muss  ein  lieber  Vater  wohnen  I 

Wem  der  grosse  Wurf  gelnngen, 

Eines  Frenndes  Freund  zu  sein, 
Wer  ein  holdes  Weib  errungen, 

Mieche  seinen  Jubel  ein  I 
Ja— wer  anch  nur  eine  Seele 

Sein  nennt  auf  dem  Erdenrtmdl 
Und  wer's  nie  gekonnt,  der  stehla 

Woinend  sioh  ans  diesem  Bond. 

Chob. 
Was  den  grossen  King  bewohnet, 

Hnldige  der  Sympathie! 

Zu  den  Stemen  leitet  sie, 
Wo  der  Unbekannte  thronot. 

Frende  trinken  alle  Wesen 

An  den  Briisten  der  Natur; 
AUe  Guten,  alle  Bosen 

Folgen  ilirer  Rosenspur. 
Kiisse  gab  sie  uns  nnd  Reben, 

Einen  Freund,  gepriift  im  Tod; 
Wollust  ward  dem  Wurm  gegeuen, 

Und  der  Cherub  steht  vor  Gott. 

Chob, 
Ihr  stfirzt  nleder,  Millionen? 

Ah  TIP,  at,  du  den  Schopfer,  Welt? 

Such'  ihn  tlberm  Stemenzell  1 
Ueber  Stemen  muss  er  wohnen. 


Frende  heisst  die  starke  Feder 

In  der  ewigen  Natur. 
Freude,  Freude  treibt  die  Rader 

In  der  grossen  Weltenuhr. 
Blumen  lockt  sie  aus  den  Keimen, 

Sonnen  ans  dem  Firmament, 
Sphfiien  rollt  sie  in  den  Raumen, 

Die  des  Sehers  Rohr  nicht  kenut. 


Chor. 

Froh,  wie  seine  Sonnen  fliegen 
Durcb  (les  Himmels  pracht'gen  Plan, 
Wandelt,  Brtider,  eure  Bahu, 

Freudig,  wie  ein  Held  zum  Siegtn. 


Ans  der  Wahrheit  Feuerspiegel 

L&chelt  sie  den  Forscher  an. 
Zu  der  Tugend  steilem  IKigel 

Leitet  sie  des  Dulders  Bahn. 
Auf  des  Glaubens  Sonnenberge 

Sieht  man  ihre  Fahnen  wehn, 
DuTCh  den  Riss  gesprengter  Sarge 

Sie  im  Chor  der  Engel  stehn. 

Chor. 
Dnldet  muthig,  Millionen ! 

Duldet  far  die  bess're  Welt! 

Droben  ttberm  Stemenzelt 
Wird  ein  grosser  Gott  belohnen. 

Gottem  kann  man  nlcht  vergelten ; 

Schon  ist's,  ihnen  gleich  zu  sein. 
Gram  und  Armuth  soil  sich  melden 

Mit  den  Frohen  sich  ertreun. 
Groll  und  Rache  sei  vergessen, 

Unserm  Todfeind  sei  verziohn. 
Keine  Thrfine  soil  ihn  pressen, 

Keine  Reue  nage  ihn. 

Chor. 
Unser  Schnldbnch  sei  vemlchtet! 

Ausgesohnt  die  ganze  Welt ! 

Briider— tiberm  Stemenzelt 
Richtet  Gott,  wie  wir  gerichtet. 

Freude  spmdelt  in  Pokalen, 

In  der  Tranbe  goldnem  Blut 
Trinken  Sanftmuth  Kannibalon, 

Die  Verzweiflimg  Heldenmnth— 
Brtider,  fliegt  von  euren  Sitzen, 

Wenn  der  voile  Romer  kreist, 
Lasst  den   Schaum  zum   Himmel 
spritzen : 

Dieses  Glas  dem  guten  GeistI 

Chob. 

Den  der  Sterne  Wirbel  loben. 
Den  des  Seraphs  Hymne  preist. 
Dieses  Olas  dem  guten  Geist 

Ueberm  Stemenzelt  dort  obeu  I 

Festen  Muth  in  schwerem  Leiden, 

Hilfe,  wo  die  Unschuld  weint, 
Ewigkeit  gescbwomen  Eiden, 

Wahrheitgegen  Freund  und  Fei  nil, 
MannerstoLz  vor  Konigsthronen,— 

Brtider,  gait'  es  Gut  und  Blut— 
Dem  Verdienste  seine  Kronen, 

Untergang  der  Liigenbrut  I 

Chor. 

Schliesst  den  heil'gen  Zirkel  dichter, 
Schwort  bei  diesem  goldnen  Wein, 
Dem  Gelubde  treu  zu  sein, 

Schwort  es  bei  dem  Sberneurichtez| 


INDEX. 


PAaa 

Andrfi       238 

Arabesques  209 

aufgekndpft  124,  231,  260,  263,  278,  305 

Ayrton,  Mr.  W 269,  336  note,  393 

Baoh,  J.  S 4 

Baden,  near  Vienna       184 

Barry,  Mr.  C.  A 213 

Bastien  et  Bastienne       60,  93 

Battle  of  the  Baltic        229 

Bennett,  Mr.  Joseph      268 

BerHoz     ...       30,  117,  152,  161,  165,  169  note,  178,  219,  243,  254, 

255,  279,  281,  294,  393  noU 

Bernadotte  51 

Bettina 231 

Bonaparte            ...  51,  52,  53,  54,  55,  04,  71,  172,  233,  310,  311  note,  315 
Bonn-dialect        233  note,  310 


Borrowing,  Beethoven's 194  note,  213,  223,  258 

Brahms 

9,  18,  58,  59,  60 

Breitkopf's  complete  edition            77  note,  199,  252,  293  note,  337, 

360  note, 

379  note,  388  note 

Brenet,  M 

244  note 

Briihl,  The          ... 

185 

Brunswick,  Countess  Theresa 112, 

140,  151,  154,  230 

Billow,  Hans  von 

296,  395 

Campbell,  Thos 

230  note 

•Cantabile'          

...  115,  348,  369 

Cantata  on  accession  of  Leopold  II.,  Beethoven's   ... 

384  note 

Carlyle      

...    77  note,  264 

Carlyle's  French  Revolution     

23 

Carrousel 

316 

Caspar  Beethoven         

318 

402  INDEX. 

PAGB 

Chim^e,  la  C6,  221 

Choral  Fantasia,  Op.  80,  Beethoven's  321 

Cibbini,  Madame 43 

Coda         8,  68 

Coda  to  ^(iaflrio  of  No.  9  -  369 

Coda  to  Finale  of  No.  2 38 

Coleridge 72 

Coleridge  quoted Hi  note^  liQ  note,  2G7  note 

Conducting,  Beethoven's  234  note 

Costa,  Sir  M 66  note,  256  nofe 

Countess  Theresa  Brunswick  {see  Brunswick). 

Cramer's  Studies  Ill 

Dannreuther,  Mr.  E 41  note 

David,  Ferdinand  383  note 

Davison,  J.  W.,  quoted 10 

Deafness,  Beethoven's 10,  45,  335 

Development  of  the  Symphony,  Beethoven's  50,  68,  321 

Dorffel,  Alfred 91 

Dragonetti  371 

Drum        9,  107,  109,  280 

Ehlert      354 

'EmilieM.,  from  H.' 276 

Empereur,  L'      172 

Faust  398 

Fc8  159  note 

Fidelio  219  note,  313,  334,  379  note,  385 

frech 379  note 

Freude  48  note,  322 

gedichtet 186 

Geminiani  346 

Glinka      362 

Gloggl      213,235 

Gluek       203 

Gneixendorf        78,  127,  131-135,  275  note 

Goethe     137,  273,  284 

Gobs,  Sir  John ...      162 

Gounod 87 

Gros»vatertanz     159  note,  213,  378 


IKDEX. 


403 


ETabeneck  

Ham,  General     

Handel     

'  Handel  and  Haydn  Society '  of  Boston 

Hansliok,  Dr 

Haydn       

Hensel,  Fanny 

Hiller,  F 

Hoffmann,  E.  T.  W 

Horna       ...  ..         ...         

*  Hush,  ye  pretty  warbling  choir' 


PAGE 

92,  169  note,  175,  392 

43  note 

60,  146,  213,  346,  390 

397 

384  note 

...  11,  12,  30,  176.  299 

391 

180,  238 

139  and  note,  176,  231 

76,  121,  258,  259,  368  note 

225 


Individuality  of  Beethoven's  compositiona 


267 


Jahn,  Otto  

Joachim,  Professor  Joseph 


10,  175,  219  note 
32  note,  322  note 


Kalischer,  Dr.  A.  G. 

Karrer      

Keys         

Kinsky,  Prince    ... 
Klopstock 

Knecht     

Krehbiel,  Mr.  H.  E. 
Krenn,  Michael  ... 
Kretzschmar 
Kreutzer,  Kudolph 
Kuhac,  Prof. 
Kyd,  General 


355  note,  364  note 

131 

200,  201,  239  note 

312 

...  201,  217  note 

191 

395  note 
132,  275 
321  note 
...  51  note 

212,  223 
•••  43  note 


Lawrence,  Sir  Thos. 

Lenz         

Leonora,  Overture  to     ... 

Lesueur 

Lichnowsky,  Moritz 
Lichnowsky,  Prince  Charles 

Liederkreis,  The 

Liszt         

Lobko  witz ,  Prince 
Louis  Ferdinand,  Prince 


...  281  note,  316 
66,  279,  342,  362 

246 

178 

314 

...     42,  47,  313 

184  note 

321  note 

...    88,  149,  319 

88 


404  IKDEX. 

pAoa 
Maelzel 293,311,312 

Manns,  Mr.  August        ..  w.,  290  note 

Marlowe 59 

Martonvasar        156 

Marx         75,  279 

Mass  in  D,  Beethoven's 320,  386  note,  388 

Matthison  ...         ...         ...         ...         ...         ...         ...         ...         42 

Mendelssohn         60,  74,  97,  100,  137,  148,  158,  174,  2:52,  288,  2o3,  284, 
295,  321,  352,  355  note,  359  note,  375  note,  391,  393  note 

Meyerbeer  234 

Minuet,  the  term  50  nofe,  78,  118,  394 

Moderation  in  scoring,  Beethoven's 123  note 

Modling 215 

Monkhonse,  Mr.  Cosmo  317  note 

Moore,  Thos 254 

Morgenstund  hat  Gold  im  Mund  185,  355 

Morning  Chronicle        268 

Moscheles  74,  235,  313,  316  note,  337,  383  note,  386 

Mozart      8,  10,  35,  37,  60,  93,  177,  252  note,  287  note,  397 

*  Musical  Association  '  The       337  note,  371  note 

Musical  Portrait  of  Nature,  A 191 

Neate,  Chas 158  note,  183,  269,  394 

Neglect  of  Beethoven's  corrections      267,  370  note 

Nel  cor  pia  ...         ...         ...         ...         ...         ...         314 

Nephew,  Beethoven's 318 

Nora  Creina         ...         ...         ...         ...         ...         261 

Nottebohm  136  note,  177,  228  note 

Obermeyer,  Miss  ...         ...         ...         ...         ...         ...         ...       273 

Oulibicheff  99,  159  note,  221,  279,  293,  376 

Overture  in  C,  Op.  115 229,  323 

Parry,  Dr.  Hubert,  quoted        6,  167  note 

Pastorale,  Sonata,  Op.  28         183  note 

Pastoral  Symphony  performed  with  scenery  226 

Path^tique,  Sonata        362  note 

Philharmonic  Society,  The    44,  91,  127,  141  note,  162,  179,  383  note,  392 

Philharmonic  Society  of  New  YoTk 395 

Photographs  of  MSS vii.,  331 

Pianoforte  Concerto  in  D         317 

Pole,  Dr.  W lOi  note,  2il  note 


INDEX.  40ft 

PAGE 

Portraits  of  Beethoven 281 

Postillion  at  Carlsbad 273 

Potter,  Cipriani 22 

Preisinger            378 

Prieger,  Dr.          vii 

Programme-music         187 

Prometheus-music         81 

Prout,  Professor,  quoted  107  note,  368  note 

Quartets,  Beethoven's 127,  398 


Raben,  Die  drei 

... 

... 

185,  215 

Ram  Dass           

... 



264 

Easumoffsky  Quartets 

... 

... 

149,  251 

Rehearsals  in  Beethoven's  time 

... 

... 

334 

Reimann,  Dr.  Heinrich 

... 

... 

...  212,  242  note 

Rellstab,  L 

... 

... 

391 

Requiem 

... 

... 

218 

Richter,  Dr 

... 

... 

290  note 

Ries,  Ferdinand 

... 

... 

22,  390 

Rode         

... 

... 

310 

Rollet,  Dr 

... 

... 

184 

Romantic 

... 

... 

246 

Romantic  movement,  The 

... 

... 

138 

Romberg 

... 

... 

234,  292 

Rossini     

... 



293,  361 

Saint-Saens,  M 

... 



217 

Scherzo     

... 

... 

...   78,163,164 

Schiller's  extravagances 

... 

... 

62,  325 

Seipelt      

... 

... 

378  note 

Schindler 

... 

200,  210, 

325,  834,  872,  878 

Schopenhauer     

... 



294 

Schubert 32,59,235, 

,239, 

240,  257,  318, 

331,  364  note,  874 

Schumann       18,  58,  70,  98,  110,  114  note,  116  note,  121,  166  note, 

180,  199,  218, 

239, 

258  note,  260, 

298,  885,  391,  396 

Sebald,  Amalie 

... 



233,  273 

Shroff        

... 

842 

Shakespeare         

v.,  43 

,  59,  126,  267  note,  281,  297,  399 

Shakespeare  quoted       

... 

... 

28,  399 

Shedlock,  Mr.  J  S 

... 

28, 

111,  213,  299  note 

406 

Silas,  Mr 

Smart,  Sir  George 

Spohr       , 

Stadler,  Abb6      

Stanford,  Professor  C.  V. 

Steibelt 

Steiner  &  Co , 

Streicher,  Frau 

Sublimity  

Sullivan,  Sir  A 


INDEX. 


170, 


43 


PAOB 

268 

333,  392 

179,  234  note,  376,  377 

212,  257 

261  note 

321  note 

267 

184  note,  186  note,  319 

217,  146  note 

370 


73,  78,  143,  146  note, 


Tenger,  Mariam  ... 
Tennyson  quoted 

Teplitz       

*  Testament,' Beethoven's         

Thayer      

Theresa,  Countess  of  Brunswick  {see  Brunswick). 

Tiedge      

Tiedsche  (Tiedge)  

Titles  to  Beethoven's  Works 

Tollemache's  '  Jowett' 

Troup^nas  

Tiirk         

Turkish  Music 

Turle,  Mr -. 


112  note,  156 

202,  205,  275  note,  308 

232,  272 

45 

vi,  112  note,  282,  296 

264 

233  not« 

51  note 

275 

161  note 

13 

S24:note 
383  note 


Ungher,  Fraulein 

Vanitas  Vanitatum 
Violins,  fiery  attack  of  ... 
Violin  Sonata,  Op.  30,  No.  1 
Violm  Sonata,  Op.  30,  No.  2 


Wagner     

« Waldstein  Sonata '       

Watson,  Mr.  W.,  quoted 

Weber,  C.  M.  von  

„  his  criticisms.. 

Weber,  Dionys 

White,  Mr.  A.  C.  

Wieck,  Friedrich  


41,  66  note,  146,  180,  244,  295,  357  note, 


15,  101,  124, 


335 

369 

26,  38,  40 
..  117 
..   353 

373,  394 
..  110 
..  126 
322  note 
237,  251 
..  4,90 
371  note 
..   237 


INDEX.  407 

Wood,  Dr.  Chas U,  302  noti 

Wordsworth        148,  i83,  183 

Wordsworth  quoted        62,  77,  99,  217,  389 

Yellowhammer 147  210 

York  Festival      180 

'^^J^r       ,         21inote 


/ 


